An encounter with horror
by PanicButton
Summary: ReidHotchOMC: A healing trip into the forest for a week long hike. What could possibly go wrong? Quite a bit it would seem.
1. Chapter 1

An Encounter with Horror

_Professor Bernard Quatermass__ once said__:- The will to survive is an odd phenomenon._

Disclaimer Criminal Minds is not mine.

* * *

The three men walked along the old disused railway track cutting its way through the forest. Two men limped slightly. One man slightly taller and thinner than the other. The shorter man had darker hair but both heads of hair were unruly messes. The mid day sun caught and reflected off the tinted glasses the taller man was wearing and made the rings on the fingers of the shorter man glint back.

The taller of the two was wearing an army surplus coat, a pair of faded black cords and some dirty black boots.

The shorter man was in a thigh length leather coat, black boot-cut jeans and a very old worn pair of cowboy boots.

The one not limping was walking slightly behind and was the tallest of them all. His hair shorter and very dark. He was wearing hiking boots and combat trousers with a warm jacket over the top. He also was wearing tinted glasses.

They all carried bed rolls on their backs.

They chatted animatedly. The taller of the two doing most of the listening. Learning.

…………………….

Once out of hospital Reid had gone back to his home with Floyd. Spencer was jumpy and nervous. He didn't like to be on his own, and followed Floyd around needing to keep a constant eye on him.

Flanders had taken to locking himself in the bathroom for hours on end. The relationship was suffocating him. Never any space. Wherever he went Spencer was about a foot behind him.

Hotch had told him to give it time, but how much time did he need? Spencer's knee was as healed as it would ever be and had left him with a slight limp. His speech was faltering and stuttery and the hospital were trying to balance medication to stop the seizures he occasionally had. He wanted to go back to work. He needed to do what he had spent all his adult life so far doing. Going on his adventures - but he wasn't ready. He couldn't talk on the phone – he went into some sort of word block panic when confronted with the telephone receiver. He had counselling.

Spencer sat with his back to the bathroom door. He had an old faded T-shirt and a sarong on. Something Floyd had got for him and insisted he wore. One hand fiddled with the hem of his Tshirt the fingers on this other hand ran slowly over the small scar on his neck.

He had done it again. He tried to stop himself and he knew it drove Floyd crazy but he had driven him into the bathroom once more. They must have the cleanest bathroom in the state.

"F f floyd." A sigh. "I'm s s sor – I'm s s s…"

…………………….

Floyd sat on the floor in the bathroom a bottle of bleach in one hand and something to take him into dream land in a twist of cellophane in the other.

"You're sorry?"

Mutterings from the other side of the door.

"I'm cleaning. Go away Spence." He was looking at the shadow the other side of the door. Waiting for him to give up and go away. In his whole life he had never met anyone quite like his Spence. Ordinarily he would have snapped that annoying neck weeks ago but there was something about Spence. Something childlike and vulnerable and so easy to tease and manipulate – something he needed to protect.

With his life.

The shadow moved. Finally he was going. Floyd let out a sigh and put the bottle of bleach on the floor next to him. He then got up and got in the empty tub – herbal substance still held in his other hand. At least if he got a nose bleed from it, it would give him something to clean.

He put a small mound of it on the back of his thumbnail and closed his eyes. "Thank you my sweet." He inhaled and almost immediately slid down the tub with a glazed look and a half smirk.

…………………….

Reid got up from the door. There was no point in trying to say sorry. Floyd was now in full snarky mood and nothing was going to pull him back for a while. His knee made a nasty crack as he stood and a sharp pain shot up his leg.

He had wanted to go to the comic store. He knew they had a new delivery in and really would have liked going down there for a poke around to see if there was anything interesting. Comics he managed to read slower. He forced himself to look at each picture and examine the artwork before moving to the next cell. It was something he had really found hard to do, but was now enjoying collecting and reading them.

He grabbed his messenger bag and got in the elevator which took him down to the ground level. It wasn't until he got there that he realised he was still in the sarong and didn't have anything on his feet. There was maybe something in the machines still in the basement laundry, so he punched the button again and carried on down.

It was hot and stuffy down here. The machines had been running nearly all day by the feel of it. The owners of the other apartments rarely seen except on laundry day. Some weird other dimension of reality. Slowly and now in more pain he walked to the machine they used. It was being used by someone else. Their things had been removed and dropped still wet to the floor and had since been trampled and messed up. They would all need washing again and there was nothing available to wear.

The comic store now forgotten he dropped his bag onto the bean bag and picked their things up. This happened often. He hadn't told Floyd – no point in making more trouble. Spencer stuffed the clothes in an empty washer and poured liquid detergent in the dispenser. Quick wash option. Press the 'on' button and then sit and wait. If he left someone would likely just take the stuff out again.

He flopped back onto the bean bag and pulled his knees up, rubbing the sore one with the tips of his fingers. His eyes kept wandering back to the messenger bag. Inside that bag was his pot of painkillers. He sucked in his bottom lip imagining them sitting in there. The neurologist had suggested he stopped using them – though you know it's not like it's a problem. It's not like an addiction. He didn't need them. It was just this damned pain.

When he looked down he saw he was holding the pot in his slightly shaking hands. It would stop the shaking. Wouldn't it? He rattled the pot. Just one to take the edge off the pain would be fine. That wouldn't be a problem.

Spencer looked down to see a little huddle of pills in the palm of his hand. Too many really – but today was a bad day. He had pissed off Floyd again; he had forgotten to get dressed properly. The laundry was messed up and his knee was hurting more than it had done in a long time. A bit of relief from this was permitted wasn't it?

He slid down into the bean bag and put the pills in his mouth. Swallow them – you shouldn't crunch. He could taste the bitterness of them as his teeth ground them into a paste in his mouth and the colours shot across his vision and the sounds in the laundry room drifted away and were replaced by something else.

For a while it was a nice something else but gradually it changed. Something was going wrong. He was wet.

Spencer tried to open his eyes but he was still in a drug induced fog. He could hear voices and he could feel the pain but he couldn't respond. Not even to curl up and protect himself. The words though – somewhat familiar, but coming from unfamiliar mouths.

"Faggot, bastard, pervert, queer-boy, filth, molester, monster, scum, freak, degenerate, deviant, weirdo, depraved animal."

With each word a kick to the stomach or groin.

"You stay away from my son. You keep away from my children."

And now some kicks in the face. Then nothing. Sweet nothing.

He woke up shaking and wet. The clothes he had tried to launder where in a pile next to him. There was blood down the front of his T-shirt from a split lip and nose bleed. Spencer had no idea how long he had been down here, but now he just wanted to go home and curl up on the bed. He stood on shaking legs. He had bitten his tongue, his head hurt, his eyes hurt, every muscle in his body hurt. He bent over and threw up on the wet laundry. When did his life become such a mess? Once he had been happy. His own place, surrounded by his books and then that had been all he wanted or needed. Now he spent his days getting high in the laundry or getting drunk up in the apartment with someone who to be honest terrified him.

Occasionally Aaron would come to visit, but always on Floyd's invite. It wasn't something he was permitted to request. That was fine, as Floyd would tell him he was still repairing. He held his bag by the handle and leaned on the back wall of the elevator and pressed the home button. The sudden movement made him want to be sick again. They had kicked hard. Harder than last time. Last time he had hidden it from Floyd. This time he wasn't so sure he could.

The elevator stopped and slowly he pulled the door open.

The hope was that Floyd was still in the bathroom.

Hope was lost instantly as he looked up and saw Floyd looking back at him.

"What the hell happened to you?"

A slow shake of the head but he didn't move from the back wall.

"Someone hurt you?"

"I h h had a f f f……."

"Maybe, but someone hurt you. You have a boot print on your face."

"Oh."

………………………

Floyd took Spencer around the shoulder and helped him to the bedroom.

"Let me see what they did?" He lifted Spencer's T-shirt to see the black bruises across his ribs and stomach. "They could have killed you Spence. I am going to sort this out. I won't let them keep doing this to you."

"No! n no. Its f f fine."

"Sleep."

He left the room slamming the door so hard Spencer thought it was going to split the wood. He went to the phone on the wall and punched in a familiar number.

……………………………..

"Hotch." He recognised Spencer's home number on his caller display.

"They got him again. I don't want to have to kill the bastards Hotch, but I'm not going to let them keep doing this. He tries to hide it. He thinks I don't know."

"What do you want me to do? I will come round now. It's only paperwork."

"No no don't. He's sleeping now – I am going to take him away for a week or so. I promised him hike up to the waterfall."

"Oh."

"I will keep him safe. You know I will."

"I know."

"So if you don't hear from us for a while – well we will be skinny dipping up in the lakes."

"A bit cold for skinny dipping isn't it?"

"I will slather him in animal fat first."

"Lovely image. Let me know when you are going, I want to be there."

"Sure. I just did. We are going."

Receiver down.

………………………..

* * *

**A/N: worth continuing? Please R&R Thank you !!!

* * *

**


	2. Chapter 2 Tricks

Tricks

_I'm not upset that you lied to me, I'm upset that from now on I can't believe you__: - __Friedrich Nietzsche _

Disclaimer: Criminal Minds is not mine

* * *

At dusk they sat around a small fire. Reid was far from happy. His leg hurt. He had insect bites on his neck. There was no coffee. He pulled off his boots and rubbed his toes. Why does it have to be so uncomfortable out here? Rubbing at his neck and scratching at itching places.

Floyd looked across at him in the fire light and smiled. "What's wrong?"

"B b bites."

"I will get you some leaves in the morning. Rub them on your skin. It's a repellent."

He smiled back.

Hotch had laid his blanket down and was leaning back on it chewing on some dried stuff he had brought with him. He still wasn't too happy about eating something Floyd provided, unless he saw it being cooked from scratch. Completely. Like cut off the cow type of from scratch. He looked at Floyd looking at Spencer and saw the look Reid was giving him back and felt a pang on jealousy. Did Spencer ever look at him like that? Was he even aware of the way he looked at Floyd. Like he was eating away at his soul with his eyes. It was mesmerising. Was Floyd as caught in this strange relationship as Reid was?

"Aaron!" Floyd was suddenly standing. "You don't mind if I take Spence out to lay some traps do you?"

He did. He minded a lot.

"Of course not." Say what you mean Aaron. "I will keep the fire going."

Floyd moved around the fire and put his hand out for Spencer. "With me. I want to show you some tricks." Spencer smiled up at Floyd and pulled him self up using his hand.

Aaron watched as Floyd picked up a ball of string and his bed roll. Then watched their retreating backs. Wonderful – marvellous. He pulled his iPod out his pocket and stuffed his ears with some Opera.

They walked for about twenty minutes hand in hand and then with Floyd's arm around Spencer's waist. They stopped in a small clearing and Floyd dropped the bed roll to the forest floor.

"Turn around." He put his hands on Reid's shoulders and spun him so he had his back to Floyd. "Hands Babes. I need your hands."

Spencer started to turn around again. "Wh wh what are y …." A finger over his lips.

"Hush – turn around and show me your hands. I am going to show you a trick."

Reid stood and looked at Floyd and slowly shook his head. He knew that look. He knew that tone, and he didn't like what it usually meant.

Flanders smirked at him and put hands on his shoulders pushing him so he had to walk backwards. Faster and faster Floyd pushed him as his eyes seemed to get darker and deeper. Reid's back eventually hit a tree and he stopped suddenly. Floyd put his face close to Spencer's. "Turn your slutty little face around and face the tree. I don't want to see your face." This time Spencer was spun around with force. He needed Hotch. All he had to do was call out and Hotch would be on his way. He felt Floyd put a hand on the back of his head.

"Hands. Behind your back. Now."

A slow defiant shake of the head. Fingers twisted in his hair and pulled his head back.

"Now."

Reid moved his hands and put them on the tree. Floyd smacked his face into the tree with a face smashing crunch.

He let out a cry of pain.

"NOW!" hissing in his ear and pulling his head back again.

"P p please don't." Slowly he moved his hands until they were behind his back.

"Thank you. Now how difficult was that?"

Reid felt Floyd wind something around his wrists and then he spun him around to face him. Spencer saw his eyes narrow when he saw the blood on Reid's mouth. He pushed him hard against the tree and put his full body weight against him. His tongue moved slowly over Spencer's mouth. Wiping it over the lips. Gently sucking on his mouth and pushing his tongue against Reid's closed mouth. The taste of blood made him feel so alive. Reid's blood had a special sweet taste all of its own. One he would recognise anywhere. He pushed harder against Reid grinding himself against Reid's bony hip.

"On your knees whore." He breathed into Spencer's mouth. "You are a slut and a tease. You know that don't you?" Hands on Reid's shoulders pushed him down.

Spencer felt dizzy and sick. The way Floyd would flip from one mood to the next was the thing which intrigued him and terrified him. Like some mystical puzzle he had to solve.

………………………….

When they arrived back at the fire Hotch was on his feet in a flash. "What the hell happened? What did you do to him?"

Reid was white faced with a smear of blood across the side of his face. He sat at the fire with his back against the tree Aaron had been sitting under. He kept his hands stuffed in his pockets so Aaron couldn't see them shaking. His fingers wrapped around the pill pot deep at the bottom. At least he had that.

"He fell. Banged his face. He will be fine. Stop fussing over him like an old woman. He's not a child. He's a grown man."

Floyd poked at the fire with a stick.

Hotch gave Flanders a quizzical look and went over to Spencer. A finger under his chin to lift his face. "Are you OK Spence?"

"I told you he was ok. Stop mauling him."

Reid nodded and gave Hotch a weak smile. It was obvious what had happened. To Hotch it was only too clear.

Floyd sat with his legs crossed prodding the flames. "You two best sleep. I'll keep the fire going."

Spencer didn't need to be told twice. He lay down on the blanket facing the fire with his legs curled up and one arm wrapped around himself whilst the other slid deep down into his pocket and carefully manipulated the lid off the little bottle and he managed to get a few in his hand. He felt Hotch lay down behind him and lay an arm protectively over his young agent.

Spencer could feel Aaron's breath against the back of his neck and instantly he felt safe again. He pulled his hand out of his pocket and popped the pills in his mouth. He looked across to see Floyd watching him with a raised eyebrow and a smirk. Spencer crunched down and slid into oblivion.

"Sweet dreams Hotch." Floyd muttered from across the fire.

Aaron felt the change in Spencer as the drugs took effect. His body relaxed and stopped twitching and tensing the way it did constantly. Reid was making soft moaning sounds from the back of his throat but his body remained relaxed.

"He's a junky you know." Floyd's voice from across the fire again.

"Pardon?" Hotch lifted his head so he could see Floyd as he talked to him.

"He is addicted to his pain killers. He can't not take them now. He gets these funny heads. I tried telling him – out there – earlier, but he won't listen." Still prodding the fire he wasn't looking at Aaron as he spoke. "Is why he fell. He got a dizzy spell cos I wouldn't let him dope himself up out there." Floyd now looked up as Aaron stroked Reid's hair. "He will be out of it until the morning. You can do what you want to him, he won't know. It's why they keep jumping him and giving him a kicking. He just lays there and lets them."

"Are you sure?"

"Check his pockets. I bet he has some on him. Probably loose in his pocket. He crunches down on them. You're not meant to do that. It like increases the effect by a dreadful amount. Gives him hallucinations. It's how he copes." He watched as Aaron's hand reached down into Reid's pocket. He knew Floyd was playing mind games with him. It was his favourite pastime, but Hotch wasn't as easily taken in as Reid. He wasn't as gullible. His fingers jumped back when they touched the pill pot and then felt the loose tablets in the bottom of his pocket. He pulled the pot out and looked at it. The same meds he had been taking when he came into work that one time. Had he been taking these things all that time?

"These are only meant to be taken for up to two weeks at a time."

"I know."

"They are highly addictive."

"Yes I know that too."

"Well where the hell is he getting these?"

"From some quack back home."

"And you didn't try to stop him?"

"By the time I realised, it was too late. He was already hooked. Spence made me promise not to say anything."

"But you are now? Out here where I cant do anything to help him?"

"Something like that." He threw the stick into the fire. "You best sleep now."

Hotch wrapped his arms tighter around this broken ruined person laying with him in his drugged sleep.

Floyd lit up a smoke and sat watching the two sleeping men.

After about an hour he got up and joined them. Curling up behind Aaron. Putting his arms around the FBI agent and pulling some warmth from him and into his frozen soul – he kissed and nibbled the back of Aarons neck and along the top of his shoulder. Apple shampoo.

It was the early hours of the morning when the screaming started.

……………………………..

* * *


	3. Chapter 3 Things in the Dark

Things in the Dark

_Rosemary Woodhouse__: What have you done to him?_

Disclaimer: Criminal Minds is not mine.

* * *

Floyd felt Aaron move and try to sit up.

"What's that?"

Floyd kept an arm hooked around the agent.

"I have no idea."

It sounded like someone was being attacked. No it sounded like more than one person. Ear piercing screams. No words – just the sound of fear.

"Let me sit up." Trying to push Floyd's arm off him.

"You have your gun?" Floyd moved his arm off Aaron and pushed himself up onto his elbows.

Aaron mirrored the movements pushing himself to sit. He felt Floyd move again and step over them both moving towards the fire.

The screaming continued. Not getting closer, not fading, but now it sounded like only one person. Hotch watched as Floyd kicked earth over the fire to put it out and then move back. He sat down in front of the still sleeping Spencer.

Aaron pulled Reid closer he whimpered something unintelligible but still didn't wake; and then he pulled his gun out of the deep pockets of the jacket he had been using as a pillow.

With one last gut clenching blood curdling howl the noise stopped. The whole forest was in complete silence. Two sat protecting their treasure as he carried on sleeping and murmuring, his body limp and unresponsive as Aaron stroked his hair and Floyd reached around and grabbed one of his hands.

And now a new noise. A long way off, but getting closer. Moving. Something slithering, crawling, sliding, flying, running, swarming, quickly, with a speed they couldn't begin to calculate it was moving towards them. Aaron pushed Spencer off his lap and crouched down next to him shaking him with his free hand.

"Spencer wake up."

Nothing.

They could hear a slithering wet sound getting closer. A sound of heavy breathing, sucking the oxygen from the air. Floyd made a deep down growling sound and sat back on his haunches.

The sounds of movement slowed. Whatever it was out there was slowly moving in a different direction. Aaron followed the sound with the gun he had clasped in his hand Floyd moved slowly around.

It was moving behind them. They moved to face the other way, Spencer still laying asleep between them. Now Flanders shook him – knowing he wouldn't wake – but trying anyway.

A smell that both Aaron and Floyd recognised wafted across the small clearing they had made camp in. A smell of decomposition mixed in with the smell of blood. Fresh blood.

"What the hell is it?" Hotch whispered.

Floyd didn't answer, he just grabbed Spencer under the arms and pulled him to his lap "Waking up around now would be helpful babes." He held him tightly and kissed the top of his head. "Spence if you are in there somewhere and you can hear me – time to come back."

The feeling of the air being sucked away continued. Hotch was feeling light headed and he knew his hands were shaking. Not through fear but through lack of oxygen getting to his brain. He took in long deep breaths to try to stop the dizziness.

Flanders could also feel his head spinning and his eyes beginning to lose focus on what little he could see in the darkness. The noises became muffled and he felt a tingling in his fingers and feet, and an odd twitching around his eyes. He looked down to see Spencer sliding from his grip. "Hotchner." He managed to mumble as he slid sideways to join Spencer on the forest floor.

Aaron's hands were shaking and sweating. He could feel moisture being sucked out of his skin and dripping down his face and wetting his back and he could hear movement again. Sliding, shuffling – and noises snorting and ripping, gradually moving away. He put the safety back on the weapon and put it on the forest floor next to him.

He swivelled around to see Floyd moaning and trying to get up again, Spencer laying on his back eyes open staring up at the darkness.

"Flanders – are you alright?"

A muttering as he pulled him self back up and sat with his legs crossed peering past Aaron out into the darkness. "Shit." Was his only reply. He moved his hands forward and grabbed Spencer pulling him to his lap holding him protectively. Hotch moved back so he was sitting next to Floyd and ran a soothing hand over Reid.

Neither man said anything but each held and protected Reid from what was out there.

Hotch knew he would have to talk to Spencer about this. This was dangerous. He would end up killing himself. How many of those damned drugs had he taken to be in this state now?

"It's the only way he can sleep." Floyd answered Aaron's silent questions. "No nightmares. Just a big lot of nothing."

"There are other ways." Hotch watched Floyd's fingers running over the side of Reid's face. "You can stop abusing him for a start. I am sure that would go a long way to helping him recover."

"He loves it. He is a deviant. My little bit of filth." He looked at Hotch and pulled out something to smoke. A sigh of pleasure as he turned to Hotch and blew noxious poison in his face.

Aaron felt Floyd's arm go across his shoulder. "I would rather you kept your hands off me and the smoke out of my face."

"You didn't say that when I lay down with you earlier. You liked it then." A small cloud of smoke now surrounding them.

"I'm not in the mood for you games Floyd. We need to wake Spencer up and see what that was out there."

"No. We need to let Spence stay just as he is. At his finest. Not resisting me and not talking to me. Just there and we need to wait until the morning before we go out there with a half drugged – drugged – whatever he is – and see what in hells name that was."

"You are a complete bastard. You know that. I did once think there was hope for you. A while back. I thought with treatment and help you would actually be alright – but I was wrong." He felt Floyd pulling him closer.

"You love me really. I see the way you look at me Aaron. I felt the way you responded to my touches. You can't deny me anymore than Spence – dear sweet Spence – here can. You are just going to take a bit longer to get on side but you will."

Floyd moved his hand off Aaron's shoulder and placed it quite firmly upon the agents knee. He leant forwards and moved a tongue slowly over Spencer's mouth – watching Hotch out of the corner of his eye. He felt Spencer respond to him and as Floyd sucked gently on Reid's sore lip and as his tongue found its way by his slightly open mouth he dug his nails into Hotch's knee and felt a hand lay over his fingers entwining. _'Well done Hotch – Phase two complete._'

Hotch watched what Floyd was doing –

He had a smoke burning in one hand, Hotch's knee in the other, his mouth moving over Spencer's face kissing the end of his nose, nibbling gently on his ear, nipping along his jawline and Spencer's strange open staring eyes looking up into the night sky as his body began to writhe and his little moans became soft whimpers.

It was bugging Floyd. This man who had such a small intelligence compared to him and Spence, yet a will-power far greater than he had anticipated. Any other man would be on his hands and knees by now ripping Reid's clothes off, but Aaron was just watching and squeezing Floyd's hand. Maybe that was his thing; maybe he just liked to watch. Voyeuristic pleasures. He would have to change his plans slightly to allow for this but it would be easy and in the end would be more fun. It would mean he wouldn't have to share. Firstly he had to deal with other things.

"Wait here." Flanders gently moved away from Hotch and Spencer. He dropped the butt of the cigarette to the forest floor and watched as it lay smouldering, he didn't want it to set the place alight, but he didn't want to put it out. Not just yet.

On his hands and knees he slowly moved forwards. He made sure that in the darkness Hotch couldn't see what he was doing and a quick look back confirmed that Aaron was otherwise occupied. As he moved forwards he scooped up the gun Aaron had placed carefully down and continued forwards. He had absolutely zero intention of really going to see what had been out there. Some monstrously huge rabid bear – were his thoughts, and he didn't want to get too close to it – thank you very much, but he couldn't have this man walking around with a gun.

He slid the weapon under the leaves and into a patch of something which made his hand itch. "Wonderful!"

………………….

Hotch watched Floyd crawling away from them. He was quiet – you wouldn't have known he was there. He looked down at Spencer who was still whimpering and moaning and staring at the sky. He moved across to where Floyd had been sitting and gently ran his fingers through Reid's hair. He wished Floyd had told him about the painkillers. He could have done something about it, but out here in the middle of a forest with something not very nice prowling around there wasn't much he could do – except protect him.

He heard Floyd's exclamation and looked up, still running gentle fingers over Spencer's face and through his long wavy hair.

"What?"

"Nothing. Just put my hand somewhere not very nice. I can't see anything but I can sure as hell still smell it."

He stood and rubbed at his hand as he turned and saw Aaron touching HIS Spence a knot of anger tightened in his stomach.

………………….

* * *


	4. Chapter 4 A Taste for Blood

A Taste for Blood

_There are no facts, only interpretations: -__Friedrich Nietzsche_

Disclaimer: Criminal Minds is not mine.

* * *

Spencer blinked.

Floyd was crouched looking in the direction the noise was last heard from rubbing the back of his hand.

Hotch was absent mindedly twirling Spencer's hair around his fingers.

"Hey." A quiet sleepy voice from Reid.

"Oh you are awake?" Snapping cross voice from Floyd. "Nice of you to eventually join us."

Spencer rolled over and licked his lips. He had a vile taste in his mouth. "I was t t tired. Sorry if I s s slept late. You should have woken me."

"We tried." How Hotch's voice, also not sounding happy.

Reid looked between the two men he was with and wondered what had happened to put them both in such foul moods. Surely can't be because he overslept a bit?

"What's w w wrong?" Sitting up and frowning at Hotch.

He threw the empty pill pot at Reid, who let it just fall into his lap. "You should have told me. I could have helped you."

Reid looked over at Floyd who was frowning back at him. "You had no- no r r right to tell him Floyd. This is my business. This is my thing to d d deal with."

"He had every right. You put our lives in danger last night Reid." Hotch stood up and walked over to his jacket.

"How? – What's g g going on?" Looked between the two men again.

"Oh don't worry about it Babes – it was just some rabid creature out there in the forest killing things and we were – you know stuck pretty much here because you doped yourself up so much we couldn't wake you."

Aaron put his jacket on and put his hands in his pocket. He frowned and looked down at the floor where he had put his gun.

"I took a couple of p p ain killers."

"You could have got us killed – Floyd give me the gun back."

"I haven't got your gun. I don't use guns."

Aaron turned to Reid and put a finger on his chest. "You - I will have words with when we get home. You will go into detox and sort yourself out. I don't want to see you damaged anymore than you already are."

Reid saw red. How dare he! He slapped Aaron's hand out of the way. "I am permitted to take painkillers Hotch and what do you mean by 'damaged'? What is that meant to mean? Is that why I wasn't allowed in the field?" A full sentence no stuttering. Floyd was impressed.

Hotch's normal calm exterior began to get a wrinkle, "Well no Reid it wasn't. It was other reasons. I didn't think you were ready. You faked your evaluation but now I am very sure my decision was the right one."

Floyd stood and watched and smiled. Waiting to see who snapped first and who got the hand print across the face. He scratched at the back of his hand.

It was Reid who snapped. And Hotch who got the hand print and Floyd grinned and watched Spencer stomp by him off into the forest.

"Well done Hotchner. You showed him." Floyd started to gather up his blanket and bits ready for the day's journey.

"Where is my gun Flanders."

"I don't know! I haven't had your………."

"What the hell!" Spencer called out. "Oh no oh no oh no!" He reappeared walking backwards stumbling over the tree roots and falling back onto his butt in the leaves. "What wh wh wh what!" He scrabbled around to get up onto his knees and get away from what he had just seen.

Floyd and Aaron both frowned and walked forwards.

"What is it Spence?" Floyd grabbed his arm and pulled him back out of the way. "Stay with him – I will go look."

Hotch gave a quick nod and watched Flanders walk over to where Reid had just retreated from.

…………………..

There was another small clearing. This must have been where whatever it was had been last night. Sitting watching them. The grass and plants in the area had been flattened and some small trees bent or snapped but that wasn't the slightly alarming thing.

There were entrails scattered across the forest bluebells, torn limbs hanging from 'stuff' in the trees. There were bits of flesh sticking to other things and there was just way too much blood. Floyd carried on walking forwards. This was what they could smell last night. Well some of it. The blood. The other smell the stench of decomp had mostly gone. He stood and squeezed his eyes shut and tried to think. The smells made his head feel light and made a knot of excitement form in the pit of his hungry stomach.

He reached out and touched a tree. There was sticky blood running down the trunk. The over powering smell made his legs feel weak and his toes tingle. He pulled his hand away from the tree and looked at the wetness on it.

Floyd crouched down next to the tree and stared at this hand. His mouth watered and his heart thumped. He knew he needed to control himself here. He didn't want Aaron to see this. He didn't want Spencer to see this again. This was his. He shuddered and lifted his hand to his face and slowly licked the blood from his palm and from between his fingers – where it had settled in little rivulets. He groaned a deep down animal grown. Part of a rib cage lay on the floor not far from him, his eyes fixed on it. He needed to get out of here. This was too much. A complete sensory overload.

When he looked down again he was looking at his hands pulling at a rib bone. Ripping it off the carcass and slipping it into his pocket. He sat back and looked and rocked and moaned.

"Flanders! What's going on?"

"I'm coming back. Wait there." A small bit – a lump of something – it made his eyes glow and his fingers tingle. He picked it up and slipped it quickly into his mouth.

Floyd stood up and said a quiet 'thank you' to whoever had done this and then turned and went back to the others quickly licking the rest of the muck off his fingers and then wiping them on his jeans.

…………………….

As Floyd walked off Hotch walked forwards and took Spencer by the arm. "I'm sorry. I was worried. You were nearly comatose Spence."

Reid turned to look at him. "I needed to blank it out. I can't just forget."

"He hurt you."

Reid shook his head. "No not– really" A sigh. "He doesn't mean it. He j j just g g gets rough." Looking at the ground, looking to the side. Looking anywhere but at him.

A hand under his chin. "You shouldn't stay with him Spencer. You don't need to. Why don't you just walk away?" guiding his face to look at him.

"I c c cant."

Aaron put his hands on Spencer's shoulders and pulled him close. "I am always here for you. He doesn't seem to object like he used to."

He felt Reid wrap his arms around him and run his hands up his back. He felt his shuddery breath. Breath he once thought he would never hear again and his heart skipped a beat in remembered panic. He moved his hands from Reid's shoulders and put one hand between his shoulder blades and the other in the small of his back and they just stood breathing in each others scent. Reid feeling safe again, and Hotch feeling loved in a way he had never felt with Haley. Spencer nuzzled and kissed Hotch's hair. He could smell the forest floor on his hair today. A wonderful fresh smell.

"Well this is charming." Floyd broke the charm. "Send me off to inspect the entrails so you can have a snog amongst the crocus's" His fingers stroked the bit of rib bone he had in his pocket, and he chewed lazily on the bit of 'pink stuff' he had found.

Reid turned and looked at him. "S s sorry hun. Come h h here." Spencer took a hand away from Aaron and reached out for Floyd.

Flanders walked over not quite sure how to take this. Not sure if he wanted to take this, unsure what Hotch was going to do. He stood and slid a hand around Spencer's back and slid fingers down the back of his waistband, hooking his thumbs in Reid's belt loops.

"What was it?" Hotch's voice was low.

"Very nasty. Probably three people, gender male – I think. Not much left of them. What ever did that was more than a rabid bear. I have no idea what did that, and I don't want to stay around to find out." Floyd felt a tentative Hotchner hand on his shoulder.

"We are going home?"

"I don't think so. That seems to be the direction it went in. I would rather we went to the river and crossed. We can be there by night fall if we go now and I don't have your gun."

Decision made, and truce in place, they packed up their things and moved out. Floyd lit up a smoke and led the way. Hotch and Reid walking behind occasionally coughing on the foul smell coming from Floyds cheroot. Floyd continued to rub and scratch at the back of his hand.

………………………….

* * *


	5. Chapter 5 To the River

To the River 

_Fantasy, abandoned by reason, produces impossible __monsters__: Goya_

Disclaimer: Criminal Minds is not mine.

* * *

Aaron and Spencer both put on their tinted shades in an effort to do at least one of the things the doctors had advised them both.

Floyd was in an irritable mood. When Spencer had asked about food he got the sharp end of Floyds tongue.

"Food? And just when did you think I went hunting for your breakfast Spencer? Before or after that whatever killed those whatevers? At what point during your drugged junky night time existence did you think I was wondering how to find you some fucking cornflakes and chilled milk?"

Reid looked at him with a frown. "That's n n not that's not wh wh wh…."

"Shut up Spencer." Floyd turned and started to walk again. "Take a pill or something will you?"

"You y y you take the ch ch chill pill F f floyd!" Reid stammered back.

He answered back – He actually answered back. Floyd stopped and wondered if stomping him into the undergrowth was the thing to do or if he should ignore it and walk on. He decided to do something in between.

Floyd turned back again and looked at Reid. "Don't you ever talk to me like that. Do you know how lucky you are right now?" He looked over at Aaron "Butt out Hotch." Back to Reid. "You little shit. What is your game?" His face up close. "You are up to something you dirty little junky I just haven't worked out what it is yet."

"G g get out of m m my face." A hand on Floyd's chest pushed him back.

Floyd took a step back in shock not because Reid had forced him back. Aaron stepped between them. "Stop it both of you."

Hotch wasn't expecting the hand to grab him by his bedroll and pull him out of the way. Floyd wasn't expecting the closed fist to hit him in the mouth. He stepped back with a hand over where Reid had just hit him.

"Y y you want me t t to be a man." A deep breath. "Y you s say I am n n not a k kid. So screw you Flanders. You won't push me around."

Hotch tried to get between the two again. "Calm down Reid and Flanders back off a bit."

"I'm going. You such the man, find your own way home. Had it with you Spence. Have fun finding your way out of here." He turned to the side of the track and walked off through the trees.

"At last he goes! Don't you come back either – you're a pervert and a bully Flanders. You abused me for the last time."

Hotch watched the retreating back then looked at Reid. "Wonderful Reid. What the hell is wrong with you?"

"You too Aaron – I am a grown man, stop treating me like a child."

"You are going to let him walk off like that? We will never find our way out of here."

"Then go with him Hotch. Go on – leave me. I don't want to have to look at you anymore." Reid started to walk off in the direction they had been going.

Aaron looked between Spencer and Floyd disappearing into the forest. "Wait there Reid. I am going to get him back. Just wait there."

Hotch waited for Reid to stop walking and give a small nod, and turned to follow Floyd. Spencer watched for a minute and then walked into the forest in the opposite direction.

He snatched the stupid tinted glasses off his face, threw them onto the path way and let the bedroll fall from his back. He walked in a straight line, deviating only so he didn't walk into a tree. His hands stuffed in his pockets fiddling with the loose pills at the bottom.

……………………..

Floyd just walked. He could hear Aaron behind him but didn't slow his pace. When he felt Hotch put a hand on his shoulder he finally stopped and turned around.

"What? What do you want?"

"I want you to get us out of his place. I want you to come back and for everyone to calm down. I want to get to that river before it gets dark."

Floyd turned around again and carried on walking. "Well we can't all have what we want can we."

"Was this your plan all along?"

He stopped and turned back again. "My plan was to have fun and spend my evenings in Babylon."

"What was the reason you brought us here Floyd?"

"To show him how to trap and catch fish. To get fresh air and pick berries and mushrooms."

"Get us across the river. Then go do what you want, but if there is something out there Floyd we should stay together. Something is going on with Reid –the pills worry me, but his change in personality worries me more. So get us out of here and then disappear if that is what you need to do."

"Fine – to the river and that's it."

Together they walked back to the pathway to see Spencer gone and his bedroll on the ground. His glasses a bit further off and towards the forests edge.

………………………

He walked in a daze along the forest path. Muttering to himself hands deep his pocket. A twig snapped under his foot. He glanced down at his feet and then to the side when he heard another snapping sound. He looked up again in time to be hit across the face by something hard.

Spencer dropped like a stone to the forest pathway. He could feel his coat being ripped off him and he could smell the most god awful stench. Groaning he attempted to see what was going on but his vision had been blurred and now he had – it seemed – blood in his eyes from a cut probably – trying to work out the angles here – yes probably from the right side of his forehead. Crawling away now seemed like a good idea. Back the way he came – back towards where he knew there were people. His feet were being held and digging his fingers into the soft earth didn't really stop him from being dragged off the small path and into the deep dark forest proper.

It was now he screamed.

"No! Stop! No! Help me! oh no oh no oh no!" And then a long drawn out howl of pain.

It was now that Aaron and Floyd started to run.

Reid grabbed hold of passing plants and roots in an attempt not to be dragged off and devoured by some hideous monster. He felt his face hitting rocks and broken bits of log and tree branches. He could feel the movement getting faster and faster. His shirt rucked up and ripped and for a while it stayed on him as his skin was torn on the undergrowth he was being dragged through. His fingers bloodied and his nails ripped back in the effort to stop the momentum. He was sure he had broken some fingers. His hands were ripped and his arms gashed. He managed one last yelp of pain as his chin made contact with something and the world thankfully went dull and quiet and then it went black.

…………………..

Floyd reached where it happened first. He stood looking down at the shredded coat on the floor. Hotch came and stood next to it.

"Oh god no." Aaron said.

"Oh shit." Floyd said.

They could both see blood. They could both see drag marks. They could see where he had dug his fingers into the earth and they could see a blood trail leading off into the dark.

Aaron carefully picked up the coat. "This looks like claw marks."

Floyd crouched and sniffed the air. "It's the same smell as last night. I can smell death." He stood again and started to walk in the direction of the drag marks. "I don't like this silence Hotchner." And he was off running through the trees following the trail.

The first thing they found was one of his boots. Floyd's stomach turned as he checked it didn't still have a foot in it. Thankfully it was empty. The next was smears of blood in some grass. He was bleeding a lot.

Aaron found his shredded bloodied shirt further along the battered pathway. It was obvious at this point he was not able to do much to stop. There were blood splatters on the ground but the evidence that he was grabbing at plants and roots had stopped.

And the clump of hair stuck to the big old branch in the middle of the pathway didn't leave them with much hope.

……………………

* * *

**A/N: Thank you my lovely reviewers. Reviews are love. :c) tinny xoxox

* * *

**


	6. Chapter 6 The Larder

The Larder

_Peta once said: - RAR !!!!I broke my damned computer ///cry – thankfully I have a lap top and so will try to keep going._

Disclaimer: Criminal Minds is not mine.

* * *

Floyd bent down and pulled the hair from where it had got tangled in the log. He put it to his nose and inhaled. His eyes twitched to look at Hotch who was standing holding the bloodied shirt to his chest. His eyes distant. Flanders ran his fingers over the blood and slowly put the tips of his fingers to his mouth and licked them clean.

He let out a slight groan.

"What is it?" Hotch was walking over.

"I needed to make sure it was him." He stood and wiped his fingers on his shirt front. "Come on – we are running out of time." He looked over at Hotch who was just standing looking pale with Reid's shirt in his hand. Floyd frowned and walked over to him. "Here, let me help." He took the shirt and walked behind Hotch stuffing it down inside the blanket he still had strapped over his back. "We need to go."

The two of them walked quickly down the pathway which had been forced through the forest. They tried not to look too closely at the blood smears and the grooves in the freshly turned earth. Something shiny caught Hotch's attention. Catching the light from a gap in the high tree canopy, half buried in the leaves. He didn't touch it. He just stood and looked. His heart thumping in fear of what it was. Floyd stopped and came back and stood looking at what Hotch was. He slowly bent down and picked it up – turning it over in his hands. Seeing the blood and seeing the bits of ripped flesh stuck to it. The glass was intact and the strap wasn't broken. Floyd slipped Spencer's watch over his hand and looked at it on his wrist.

"I will keep it for him."

Hotch just nodded. "You know this blood pattern – whatever it is – it's dragging him feet first."

Floyd nodded.

Aaron carried on. "Whatever has him is moving fast. Much faster than us."

Floyd nodded again.

"This is what happened last night. To those people you found – Reid – Spencer found back by the campsite."

Floyd was walking off down the pathway again. "Yes."

"I thought it was nocturnal. I though we would be safe. We just needed to cross the river."

"Some beasts never sleep – or at least need only a small amount of it."

Hotch was jogging behind Floyd who seemed to be able to run without loss of breath.

"What – do – you mean?"

"I mean never try to double guess a monster Hotch. They are unpredictable. You should know that. Some creatures hunt by day and night."

And the sky darkened and a rumble of thunder was heard in the distance.

………………..

Spencer didn't know how long he had been laying on the hard ground. Every part of his body screamed in pain. There didn't seem to be a part of him that wasn't battered and scratched. He opened his eyes a crack and saw nothing. Just darkness. He couldn't even see stars in the sky. Just a big empty nothing. He could feel leaves under his fingers and so slowly moved his hands around to see what else he could find. Maybe a stone – something he could use as a weapon. He touched something cold and recoiled from it. He knew that feeling. Something dead. Someone dead.

He tried to move and sit up and it was now that he realised he had something tied around his neck holding him down. His sore bruised and probably broken fingers moved slowly to his neck. They rested on the small scar and he took a deep juddering breath. He was beginning to panic. _'Stay calm – remember you are alive. You are alive for a reason. Just stay calm and it will be alright.' _His fingers now moved to the cord around his neck and around to what was stopping him from moving – he was tied to a stake hammered into the hard-packed earth. Carefully, quietly, and painfully, he started to feel for where the cord was tied off and gently began to manipulate the cord and loosen it.

The first sign that something was wrong was the smell. It wafted over him and made him gag. The second sign was something smacking down on his hands – smashing them down into the earth with a crunching searing pain. The next sign that not all was going according to his master escape plan was something smacking into the back of his head. He let out a yelp of pain for his hands and a groan of despair as the second hit to his head sent him back into the darkness he had just awoken from.

…………………

Floyd suddenly stopped. So quickly that Hotch nearly smacked into his back.

"Wait. Something is wrong." A roll of thunder and a crack of lightening.

Hotch moved up next to him. "What is it? Do you hear something?"

Floyd was crouching down touching the ground and looking off to the sides of the path. "I can smell blood. A lot of blood." He stood up again. There was a slight bend in the trail. "Just beyond the curve; there is something there."

Aaron could feel his heart thumping with the fear of what they might see. Floyd took him by his arm. "We go together." A nod from Hotch and they rounded the bend.

On the path was Reid's other boot. It sat in a puddle of blood.

"Oh god." Hotch breathed. He felt Floyds hand tighten on arm.

A few steps forward and Floyd let go of his arm and looked down at the blood. "This is all wrong. This is all so wrong." He got up and walked around the next bend. Hotch heard Flanders say something. It sounded a bit like _'Oh please god no.' _And it made Aaron's blood run cold. He took steps forwards on legs which didn't want to move. His eyes didn't want to see what Floyd was looking at.

It was a body.

It was hanging in the middle of the path by its feet. The head had been ripped off. In fact more than the head and not actually ripped. More like bitten. It was a torso and legs. Head, arms, and shoulders were missing. It had also been skinned. Roughly and quickly.

Floyd was standing in front of it running hands over the wet bloody flesh. Hotch moved to the side of the path and started to vomit as Floyd put blooded hands to his mouth and breathed it in. He tasted it and turned to look at Aaron.

"It's not Spence." He walked to Hotch and put a hand on his back "Hotchner, It's ok its not Spence."

"How – do you – know?" He carried on being sick.

"It tastes wrong. That's not what Spence tastes like."

"Flanders you are a complete animal. I need better convincing than that."

"It's a warning. It's telling us to keep away. Asking us to leave. Offering this. It's even partially prepared it for us."

Flanders moved back to the body and pulled a knife out of his pocket. He reached up and cut it down. Hotch was still gagging but turned to look. "You are sure about this?"

"I would suggest you taste for yourself. I don't know how clued up you are on how Spence tastes. Sweet – he is sweet."

Aaron stood and looked at the body. He had seen sights this bad before. This shouldn't be effecting him this badly. It wasn't Spencer. He took some deep breaths and listened to the sound of the rain on the leaves. Floyd had started to run again.

………………………….

Spencer felt very ill.

He was hurting so much before and now the pain had just gotten worse. He had been tied up by his hands and was hanging. It felt like his shoulders were going to come out of their sockets. He moved his toes a bit to see if he could feel the ground but he couldn't. He bent his knees up away from the never ending darkness below. He could hear rain somewhere but not where he was. It somehow didn't feel like he was outside. There was no air movement and looking up he couldn't see the sky still.

Reid could smell familiar not very friendly smells around him. Smells of things rotting. The smell of decomp. The smell of death, but not other sounds except for his breathing. He had no idea if Hotch of Flanders had heard his calls for help and if they had would they bother looking for him. Were they out there now glad that he had gone? Had they even missed him? He could feel tears of frustration prickling behind his eyes. His hair hung down in a bloody clumpy curtain and something grabbed hold of his feet and pulled.

…………………………..

* * *


	7. Chapter 7 The Offering

The Offering.

_Leo Buscaglia: -__Only when we give joyfully, without hesitation or thought of gain, can we truly know what love means._

Disclaimer: Criminal Minds is not mine.

* * *

Spencer felt the binding holding his hands rip into his wrist as he was dragged downwards. He let out a yelp of pain and surprise and suddenly the bindings snapped and he fell onto the hard-packed floor. The back of his head smacked and bounced and smacked again. He was then flipped onto this front, one arm was grabbed and he was dragged across the ground.

He hoped that whatever this was would drag him outside. At least then he could see what it was and begin to calculate how much time he had left to try to escape but he couldn't see the light, and the sounds of thunder became more distant and the air became stale and old and thick with the stench of death. He tried to call out for help, but with each noise he made the creature shook him. The fear that it would tear his arm off forced him into silence. For now.

Finally after what felt like an eternity of ripping pain he was released. As soon as his arm was released he started to drag himself away. He tried to stay silent knowing now that noise just made the thing more angry.

The pain across the back of his legs however forced an unwilling scream from him. Spencer had no intention of just laying there waiting for his fate. He was going to at least try to get away. Something hit him across the back and all movement stopped. He lay on hard rock floor and moaned as it smacked him again.

"Please no. Stop" in a voice barely audible. He could now feel his feet getting bound. "No no no" and he was kicking out. He stopped suddenly and lay.

"No!" The creature growled back. "Still." And pulled the socks off Reid's feet.

Reid tried now to twist to see what this was but even if he had managed it was total darkness. As he was lifted from the ground by his ankles and hung from a hook he had the nasty feeling that this was it. Game over. He closed his eyes tightly against the horror of being hung like a slab of meat and let the tears fall. He was against a wall –facing it. His fingers just touching the ground. One hand was pulled behind his back and he felt a sharp pain as something sharp dug into his wrist. What ever this was held his arm for a while. Squeezing just above the elbow and then released. He clamped a shaking hand over the wound as he heard the creature shuffling away.

…………………..

Hotch took one last look at the torn up body and ran after Flanders. The ran through the thunder storm. Beyond where they had found the body the trail had continued. The blood trail was back but now there were signs that the other body had been dragged this way too. Huge smears along the ground, but also the smaller splatters they had been following earlier.

Big drops of rain were making their ways through the trees as it gradually got darker. Hotch had no idea now how long they had been running for, but he was at the point where he was going to have to take a rest when Flanders suddenly stopped again. He moved up next to him and again felt Floyd put his hand on his arm and grip tightly.

"There is something. I can smell it." He whispered. "I smell fresh blood. A lot of fresh blood." He moved down to a crouch his hand sliding down and now gripping Aaron's hand. Hotch watched him sniff at the air and put the fingers of this other hand on the ground. Feeling for something. Feeling for movement. He stood again. "Move slowly." He dropped Aaron's hand and they moved on forwards. There was a huge old tree blocking direct route and the drag marks went around to the right of it. They moved slowly. Aaron making the occasional noise in the dead leaves, Floyd moved in total silence.

They stood and looked.

Laid out on the path was a carpet of green leaves. They had been carefully placed each slightly over lapping the next. They were big shiny waxy leaves and they held like a huge serving dish a puddle of fresh deep red blood. Around the edges were bits of torn flesh and standing central was a small metal beaker. The type you would take on a camping trip.

"What the hell?" Aaron muttered and moved his hand to grip Floyd's arm. He could feel Flanders was very slightly trembling.

"An offering." He said. "It is evolving."

"What? An offering? Evolving from what into what?"

Floyd turned to Hotch and frowned. "You don't have to watch but I think I need to do this." He moved forwards but Hotch didn't release him and moved forwards with him. The 'bowl' of blood was about three foot across and a couple of inches deep. Floyd crouched and Aaron moved to stand behind him. Aaron watched a shaking hand move over and pick up a lump of flesh. He put it slowly to his face and inhaled. "It's not Spence." He breathed. "This is female." He then moved his hand forwards and dipped it in the puddle of blood and moved it back to his face and slipped it into his mouth. "The blood belongs to the female too."

"Flanders. Spit it out." A hand on the top of Floyd's head. He could feel he was chewing.

"I said I need to do this. Close your eyes. Don't watch." Aaron did watch though. He watched the hand move over and pick up the beaker. It made a slurping noise as it squelched out of the mess it was sitting in. Floyd put it slowly to his mouth and drank. Aaron felt Floyd's body jerk and watched the beaker shake in his hand as the carefully put it down. "That however is definitely Spencer."

Floyd stood and looked around. "We are being watched. I can feel it." Flanders could feel something probing his mind – trying to get in – trying to contact, but it wasn't Reid. This was something bestial. Something primitive. Grabbed Aaron's arm again. "This isn't good. We need to hurry." He took a step forwards and felt something crack underfoot. He could hear a whooshing noise. Floyd spun and pushed Aaron hard to the side.

Aaron tripped back a couple of steps from Floyd. He heard the crack and he saw Floyd stagger forwards making an 'Umph' sound as something hit him. Ramming him up against the tree. He watched expecting him to fall, but he just stood and jerked again. Hotch watched Flanders for a second before he noticed the spike sticking out of his back.

He didn't say anything as Flanders turned his fact to look at Hotch. Floyd opened his mouth and coughed blood out and down his chin. He could see his hands trying to move up against the tree.

Hotch suddenly burst back into action and he moved forwards and put an arm around Floyd to take his weight. "Tell me what to do." Hotch could feel Floyd shaking.

"Get Spence." His voice was quiet and distant. "I think it will be safe. Go find him."

Aaron felt Floyd's hand move and grip hold of his shoulder. "I'll go. Soon." He put a hand around Flanders' head and pulled him closer. "Tell me how to help you."

"Leave me. I will be fine. Go help Spence. He will be scared. I'm not. Find him Agent Aaron Hotchner."

Hotch wanted to stay. He didn't want to leave this man to die pinned to a tree, but the possibility of helping him now was fading as he felt Floyd go limp in his arms.

He stepped back away from him, avoiding the feast which had been left and started to walk. His heart thumping, tears in his eyes Floyd's blood on his hands. "I'll come back for you Flanders." He said to himself as he took one last look and rounded the next bend.

………………………..

Once he was sure Hotch had gone and he could hear his footsteps pass into the forest he put his hands back up onto the tree trunk and started to push. He took a shaky step backwards pulling the spike back through slightly and then he smelt it again. That smell of death. That familiar smell. He felt the hands gripping him around his middle as he was ripped off the spike and thrown to the ground. He moaned and put a hand to the hole in his chest. Shaking he rolled over and looked into the face of the monster.

……………………….

Running through the forest eyes streaming with fear and guilt. He heard something behind him. It made him run faster. A mad panicked belting run. He heard the howls of an animal, the screams the sounds of something and someone in terrible pain. He could hear Floyd's scream of rage and he ran faster. Something glinting again. Wet from a drop of rain. A light blinking. He stopped and looked down. A cell phone? Slowly he picked it up and flipped it open. Reid's cell phone. His stomach knotted and turned and holding the treasure in his hand he chucked up onto the pathway. Not food, he had nothing left, but bile and stomach lining. Hotch went down to his knees holding the phone and listening to the terrible screams behind him. Thinking of Floyd and what must be happening to him brought fresh tears and a newly found surge of adrenaline. "I'm coming Spencer. I'm on my way." He pushed himself up again and started a slow jog forwards, trying to listen out for something behind him, but in a sick comforting way, all the time he could hear the screams he was safe.

………………………

* * *


	8. Chapter 8 Boots and Socks

Boots and Socks

_Dorothy Thompson: - Fear grows in darkness; if you think there's a bogeyman around, turn on the light._

Disclaimer: Criminal Minds is not mine.

* * *

The way was lit by sudden flashes from what was quickly becoming a storm. Aaron started to move faster now as more rain made its way through the trees. He was worried now in case too much rain covered the tracks. He was already noticing how the blood scrape marks and spots had become fewer so he was having to look more carefully. Yes this was obviously the way the creature had come but he needed to make sure it hadn't just tossed Reid aside at some point broken and dying or dead. He couldn't afford to miss him and now he was without his blood hound he was becoming more and more nervous that he had missed something vital.

It was because he was looking with extra vigilance though that he spotted something else. A scrap of something colourful slowly getting covered by the leaves. He stopped and looked down at it and frowned. A small photograph. He bent down and plucked it up from where it was laying. He recognised it immediately. It was the snapshot Gideon had given Reid. The picture to remind him that sometimes there was a happy ending. Reid's ward against his nightmares. He knew Reid kept this secure in his wallet, so how was it here on its own. Why would some primitive beast remove a photograph and leave it for him to find? Carefully he moved his hands around in the leaves to see if there was anything else already buried, but there didn't seem to be. Just this small snapshot. He put it in his pocket along with the cell and walked. How many other little things like this had he missed in his rush?

Another bend in the path. Aaron stood. He swallowed and took a deep breath. Far in the distance he could still hear the faint cries and screams so around the corner can be nothing worse than something to spook him. The creature was playing games. Sick deadly games.

It was a single blue sock. It was blood drenched and it was hanging from a branch directly in front of him. It could have been anyone's sock, but he knew it wasn't. It could have been anyone's blood though and he wasn't about to taste Reid's sock to see if it was 'sweet'. He pulled it down from where it had been snagged. This item had been placed. This wasn't something torn from him as he was dragged. He stood looking at it in his hand and then closed his eyes against the visions he was having. He wasn't expecting to find Reid alive. There was too much blood –this was too much of an animal.

He kept the sock clutched in his hand as he carried on walking down the trail. The wind now picking up and blowing the leaves in whirls in front of him. If anything else had been dropped it was unlikely he would find it now. Aaron noticed that the sounds of screaming had stopped. If because the wind was dragging the sound away or if because the creature had finished with Floyd he didn't know.

Branches snapping and whipping around now in a howling wind. The wind blew down the trail and as the trees thinned out the rain fell in a sheet of freezing needles. All signs of a trail gone. A small clearing gradually filling with water and Aaron had no idea which way to go from here. He could hear nothing through the sound of the rain the ground shook with every crack of thunder. It was so dark now he could hardly see and the lightning lit the clearing with spooky shadows of the trees bending in the wind.

Hotch decided to move. The he couldn't just stand doing nothing. He put the sock in his pocket and stroked the phone. Part of Reid – and he moved forwards out of the clearing into darkness.

Suddenly there was nothing underfoot. They ground disappeared and he pitched down onto hard rock beneath him. He let out a yell of surprise and then a howl of pain as he felt his body smash on the rocks. His head cracking and as the rain continued to fall he lay breathing painfully with what he suspected was broken ribs. Another crack of thunder – another sudden flash of light and the pain ripping through his body and soul _'I'm sorry Spence. Oh god I am so sorry.' _And the darkness took him.

…………………….

Something smacked Reid across the back causing him to swing slightly forwards and his face to hit the rock face. He could feel he was being lifted from the hook and as he hit the floor he groaned in pain. He could hear the creature breathing and he could smell its vile breath. Reid attempted to move forwards away from it but he was dragged back into place by his feet.

An object was dropped in front of him and the noise the thing was making almost sounded like a laugh. Slowly Reid put his hand out to see what it was. A boot. A familiar boot. Floyd's boot. Another object joined it. The other boot. They felt sticky and he could smell blood on them. Spencer let out a small sound of distress. The next thing dropped was the leather jacket Floyd had been wearing. It was ripped and sodden with blood. Spencer pulled it close and held it tightly. The last thing dropped made a soft sound. He moved his hand out to see what it was. About the size of a fist. Cold and wet. A human heart.

Spencer wanted to scream. He opened his mouth and all that came out was a strange keening from deep down. He lay on the cave floor and cried deep howling uncontrolled cries of pain – and he knew the creature was still there holding his feet still, not allowing him to curl up around these last treasured items.

……………………..

When he opened his eyes again he was choking and spluttering laying in water. It was still raining and as he turned onto his side he could feel his ribs digging into places they shouldn't. Slowly he pushed himself to his knees. He had to keep going. He had to help Spencer. He needed to know what had happened to him.

Crawling in the darkness he saw in a flash from the sky a cave mouth. At least if he could get there he would be out of the rain and would be able to see if he could do anything for his ribs.

He moved slowly. Each crawling movement made him want to yell out in pain but he didn't know if that creature was nearby – he moved as silently as he could.

He stopped once to try to control the feeling to be sick. Curling up tightly still on his hands and knees with his head on the wet forest floor letting out a sob of pain and grief Aaron rested. Again he moved on – slowly, painfully to the cave mouth.

And there it was, laying open just inside the cave mouth, dry except for the smears of blood – Reid's wallet. Hotch reached out for it and saw where the photo had been taken from it. He picked it up and pressed it to his face and then looked into the darkness of the cave.

Somewhere deep down inside in the darkness he could hear something. At first he thought it was an animal in pain, and then he recognised words.

"Please don't – no please stop." Spencer! Then a howl of pain and the talking stopped.

…………………….

It was a small comfort for Spencer, holding onto two bloodied boots and a ripped jacket, but he could still smell that heavy musty smell which always accompanied Floyd. He wondered where Aaron was and thought hopefully that he was alright, that the creature hadn't taken him or it would have shown him his things too. As he felt his feet being released he curled up on his side hugging the last bit of comfort – clinging to it as he grieved for its owner.

Something rough grabbed his shoulders and flipped him onto his back. He could feel its breath on his face as it pulled the items out of his hands. He begged it to stop. He pleaded with it not to, but the things were torn from his grasp as rough animal hands touched him and a hot stinking tongue ran its way over his face then down his chest to his stomach. A knee like object was pushed hard against his groin and a hand held tightly onto his hair as it licked and slimed its way back up – along his jaw line – around his ear – across his eyes and down to his mouth. Another hand was pulling at his belt.

Thankfully it was now that fear overtook Reid's brain and permitted him to fall back into that safe dark place of unconsciousness.

………………………

* * *


	9. Chapter 9 The Pretty Boy

The Pretty Boy

_Dorothy Thompson: - Courage, it would seem, is nothing less than the power to overcome danger, misfortune, fear, injustice, while continuing to affirm inwardly that life with all its sorrows is good; that everything is meaningful even if in a sense beyond our understanding; and that there is always tomorrow._

Disclaimer: Criminal Minds is not mine.

* * *

He knelt and looked down into the darkness. He had nothing to give him light. It would be a matter of just crawling into darkness and hoping there weren't too many nasty surprises. Hotch just wanted to reach Spencer. He was aware realistically that there would be nothing he could do to fight the creature but he didn't want Spencer to be there alone. He needed Spence to know he tried. Even though he knew he was going to fail.

Hotch could hear yelps and yappings of a creature a lot further down. Spencer will still silent. He thought about calling out to him, but that would draw the creature away possibly to come up here and kill him and that once again would leave Spencer alone. Aaron started his slow painful crawl down the tunnel.

………………

Reid was vaguely aware now of what was happening.

He had been flipped over onto his front and so had taken the opportunity to try to get away again. Digging his broken bloodied fingers into the ground and pulling himself away. He didn't get far. It picked him up by his hair, pulling his chest up off the floor and then smacked him down again. He let out a moan of pain as the wind was knocked out of him. The creature was behind him now grabbing hold of his hips and pulling him up to his knees. There was nothing he could do. Reid could barely breathe now. He couldn't even scream in pain.

"Still. Keep still." It hissed in his ear.

……………..

He moved on all fours. Slowly at first but gradually gaining strength and getting to his feet. He stood in the rain and let it wash the blood from his torn skin and growled from deep down inside.

……………..

The floor was sloping slowly downwards, but not so much that he would slip but it was noticeable. The sounds he could hear were still distant and muffled. Acoustics being strange in this environment he was unable to guess how far away he was. He kept a hand on the cave wall and continued crawling forwards into the darkness.

The smell got worse and he started finding bits on the floor. Bits he wasn't sure he wanted to know where they originated from. He crawled through puddles of blood. He knew it was blood he could smell it wafting up as he broke the surface of the congealing mess. He wondered if any of it was Spencer's. In response to his thoughts he had to stop moving and force him self not to be sick. His hands were wet with slimy blood and gore from the cave floor. He took deep breaths and listened for sounds in the distance.

……………

He crouched down and sniffed at the air. The rain had dampened things down, but no so much he couldn't smell it. He curled his toes to feel the damp leaves and then stood and started to walk again. Still in the back of his mind something was probing and pushing.

…………..

Reid was laying on his side now. His eyes open just staring into the darkness. His fear of the dark forgotten for now. Now that his nightmare was here stroking his hair and muttering to him.

"Pretty boy. I have the pretty boy."

………….

He could hear someone talking. A deep low growl of a voice. It wasn't Spencer he was sure of that. Hotch stopped and tried to work out what it was saying, but there was too much of an echo to be sure. He moved forwards again – occasionally putting a hand to where his ribs were digging and wondering briefly if they were doing lasting damage. Not that it mattered really now. Hotch wasn't expecting to leave here. He just needed to reach Spencer so he knew. So he could be with him.

………….

He crouched at the cave mouth and took deep breaths through his nose. He could smell a mixture of things. Blood, death, fear, Hotch and Spence. He could also smell It and It was doing something it shouldn't. Something it will die for.

Floyd stood and started to walk down the tunnel towards where Aaron had gone what seemed like a life time ago.

………...

Now he could hear the voice clearly.

"Sweet pretty boy. Wake up."

Then a whimpering sound.

The sound of something hitting flesh followed by a cry of pain. "I'm sorry." A small broken voice.

He continued to move forwards. He wanted to call out to Spencer now. Let him know he was here. He was so close.

"Stop moving." The rough growl again, followed by a yelp then a long drawn out howl of pain.

Aaron moved faster. He tried reaching out for Reid. "Spencer. I'm here." Soft calming voice. "You leave him alone."

In a way he was glad he couldn't see. For Spencer's sake as much as his. He didn't want to see what this creature was doing to this beautiful man, and he didn't want Spencer to know he was watching.

Another moan from Reid and a muttering that Aaron couldn't hear. "Spencer – talk to me. I need to hear you."

A small sound and in the darkness – finger tips.

Just as they touched Hotch felt something grab him around the neck. "My pretty boy." It picked him up off the ground by this neck and just as he thought it was going to simply snap his neck or pull off his head it threw him at the wall.

His back hit first, followed by his head. For a second he saw stars and a flash of something and as he slid to the floor he felt something rush by him towards the creature. Something howling and screaming in a rage. "My pretty boy you son of a bitch!" a thudding ripping sound and then, "Get out of here Agent Aaron Hotchner and take Spence with you."

Spencer tried to block out the sounds of the ripping and tearing and crawled slowly towards where he had heard Hotch. He pulled what was left of his clothing back into place. "Aaron?" And moved forwards. "Aaron are you there?"

A hand touched his and then entwined his fingers. "Reid – come on."

"Floyd."

"We can't help him. We have to move."

Slowly he guided Reid back the way he had just come. The screams from down the tunnel, unearthly as they echoed around the cave.

Hotch slowly stood and tried to pull Reid to his feet. "Come on Spence. We need to get out of here."

"I can't leave him Aaron. This is my fault. I can't leave him."

Hotch knelt back down on the floor and put an arm around Spencer pulling him close. "He wants you to get out of here Spence. He is doing this so you can live. Don't let him down. Come on. I am with you. Floyd will catch up."

……………..

Reid could feel those arms of comfort around him. The only ones who never hurt him. The place he always felt safe and all he wanted to do was curl up in those arms and let everything else pass by. Here he couldn't be hurt. Here nothing could get him. Aaron moved his arm from around him and he let out a whimper of anguish.

"Where are you going? Don't leave me!"

"Move Reid. Don't just stay there it will come back for you. Move it now!"

Hotch had decided that gentle persuasion was going to get him no where. Reid always obeyed an order though and he was pleased to see it worked. Slowly Spencer started to move forwards.

He now allowed himself to listen to the words being shouted from where he was crawling from. Floyd was screaming and howling in a primal rage.

"I told you not to touch him! We had an agreement."

More shouting and growling and ripping and tearing sounds.

"I don't give a damn about it! I told you no."

…………….

The feel of air movement against his face made Reid gasp. A feeling he thought he would never experience again. He tried to keep his mind on the outside. On the smell of the rain in the forest – on the occasional flash of light up ahead. Anything to take his mind away from the sounds behind him.

It was a noise such as Reid and Hotch had never heard. A cry of despair and pain so loud it hurt their ears. It cut off suddenly. And it was this which made them both stop. Hotch froze and Spencer turned and looked back the way they had come.

Now a new noise. A new scream.

"Where are my fucking boots you bastard?!"

……………………..

* * *


	10. Chapter 10 The Chat

The Chat.

_You may be deceived if you trust too much, but you will live in torment if you do not trust enough__: - Frank Crane _

Disclaimer: Criminal Minds is not mine.

* * *

Aaron touched Spencer on the shoulder. "He is fine." But the words he just heard were repeating themselves endlessly in his head_. "I told you not to touch him! We had an agreement."_ Had he known what was going on from the beginning? Was this whole thing planned? Had he and Spencer been manipulated and separated purposefully?

The small amount of trust he had permitted himself to give Floyd was gone. He was now sure that his initial feelings about him had been correct. The man was no more than a sadistic psychopath. He had push and pulled them into a deadly situation so he could watch. So he could seem the hero. It wasn't going to work. Aaron knew exactly what the game was now.

They had to get out of this cave and back into the forest. If Flanders had dealt with whatever it was then all they needed to do now was retrace their original path and find the railway again. Surely it cannot be that hard.

……………………….

Spencer wanted to go back and find Floyd but Aaron was insistent and so he kept going. He thought very briefly about getting to his feet. He stopped crawling and pushed back so he was kneeling. One foot was then put on the floor as he tried to force him self up to stand. He pain shooting through his body made him want to be sick. It felt like every inch of him had been battered. Outside and in. He was sure he was bleeding from places where he had been manhandled and ripped into. With a moan he put his foot back behind him and put his hands back on the floor.

"Spencer?" such a distant voice. "Spencer?" He was being called but the voice was becoming muffled and distant. He could feel his arms shaking and his elbows gave way. As his face hit the floor he let out the smallest of sounds and fell again into that comforting dark place.

……………………

"_Spencer!" He was being called. "Get in here now!" His dad._

_He looked up at the guy on the motor bike and frowned. "Get on. I will protect you. I will keep you from the bullies."_

"_My dad needs me. He's calling me in. I have chores to do."_

"_I said get on the bike." It wasn't a request._

"_Spencer! I told you to get in here." An order._

"_Get on the fucking bike freak." A hand reaching out and pulling him._

"_But I have chores." A small child's voice._

"_I have stuff you need to do for me first. Payment for that chemistry homework I did for you."_

"_I never asked you to do that."_

"_I still want paying. Get on the bike."_

And a hand was shaking him……

"Spence – please we need to go." Aaron's voice pulled him back to now. The strange dream faded and again he put his hands on the floor and started to move forwards.

Aaron desperately wanted to just pick Spencer up and get out of the stinking cave, but he was in too much pain himself. He just made continual encouraging noises and words to keep Reid moving. The aerie silence behind them was very disconcerting. Hotch knew Floyd was down there somewhere, and he knew Floyd had once again proved himself a liar. When at last he could see daylight he permitted himself to rest.

They sat with their backs to the cave wall and listened to the rain crashing through the leaves and battering on the ground – the thunder and lightening had moved away slightly so hopefully the rain would stop soon also. He slid an arm around Spencer and pulled him close. He could feel him relax and rest a head on his shoulder. Slowly the shaking subsided and the breathing became less ragged. They sat in silence. They didn't need to talk. Spencer just wanted the feeling of love and safety. Hotch needed to feel protective.

A sudden movement and Floyd was there crouching in front of them.

"Spence? Are you OK?"

Hotch felt a shudder go through Reid and he held him tighter.

"Flanders." Aaron's quiet yet commanding voice. "I think you need to just go. Go and never return."

He watched a frown form on Flanders face.

"What the hell did I do wrong now?"

Hotch took his arm away from around Spencer who was sitting looking from one man to the other. Aaron leaned forward slightly and punched Floyd firmly in the mouth.

"Hotch!" Spencer started to move towards Floyd who hardly moved from the punch but Aaron pulled him back again.

Floyd just crouched looking genuinely confused and ran his fingers over his lips. "I just nearly died for you two and you do this in return. I am lost – explain."

"You know full well what you did and I am not going to sit here and carry on with your game anymore."

Floyd stood up and took a step towards Reid. Aaron noted that he had his boots back on. "Spence. Come with me." Floyd put a hand out for him to grasp.

"I can't."

Grabbing hold of his arm. "Now. I didn't go through all of that for you to refuse to come with me!"

"I can't stand. I need to stay with Aaron."

He let go of Spencer's arm and looked at Hotch. "Agent Aaron Hotchner. Explain. What the hell is going on?"

"I would like to ask the same question. What was that thing?"

Floyd looked back down the tunnel into darkness. "I dealt with it." Snapping his reply.

Reid pulled his legs up close and wrapped his arms around his knees. He rested his head on his knees and closed his eyes.

"I didn't ask where it was. I asked you what it was."

Flanders ran his fingers through his hair. "How the hell should I know? It was dark. Ask Spencer. He spent lots of time with it. Eh Spence – what was it?"

No response.

"You made a deal with it. You talked to it. You knew what it was. Right from the start when Spence was sleeping. You knew what it was."

Flanders crouched down again and gently stroked Reid's hair. "I didn't know. I swear on Spencer's life. I didn't know what it was."

Reid looked up and pushed Floyd's hand away. "Don't."

"You can stop the pretence now. We know. Just tell us what it was. Reid needs to know."

Flanders stood up and started pacing. "I can't tell you. Yes – yes I talked to it. It pulled me off the tree. I told it to leave Spence alone. That's all I know."

"And why would it listen to you?"

"Because everyone listens to me! Because I told it to. That should be good enough. Reid get up and come with me." He walked back over to Spencer and put his hand on the top of his head. "Stop defying me. Get up off your arse and come with me now." His fingers winding around his hair and pulling upwards.

Aaron put his hands on the cave wall and pulled himself up to his feet. "Let go of him Flanders. You have done enough damage. Leave him alone."

"I saved him." Letting go of Spencer's hair but now crouching down next to him. "Spence I saved you."

"I don't feel very saved."

Flanders slipped an arm under Reid's legs and another behind his back and stood. "I'll carry you if you can't walk. Hotchner you will have to follow."

Spencer wanted Floyd to leave him alone – to go away – to stop talking to him and touching him – yet as soon as he could smell that smell and feel those arms around him he couldn't say no. He knew he had to go with him. "Please Floyd, don't leave Aaron. Help him."

Hotch looked over at Spencer. After all this – after all Floyd had done and all he had done to try and save him – After all of that, Reid would rather be with Floyd.

Flanders took a couple of steps back. "Arm around shoulder then if you cannot walk. But I swear I did not know that thing was in this forest and I made no deal – well I did – but not because I knew what it was."

"I want to know what the deal was first."

"I am sure you do, but something's you know need to be kept private."

Hotch put an arm around Floyd's shoulder. "How can I trust you when you won't tell us the truth?"

Floyd started to walk out of the cave. The cold rain water was refreshing. It had died down now to a light drizzle.

"Then you will have to not trust me Agent Aaron Hotchner and we will be back to square one. I swear the only thing I damaged was myself. Now we need to go home. I have had enough of this place. If that's ok with you two?"

"Reid you trust Floyd to get us out of here safely?"

"Completely."

……………………..

_The best proof of love is trust__: - __Dr. Joyce Brothers

* * *

_


	11. Chapter 11 The Agreement

The Agreement

_I cannot stand being awake, the pain is too much: - ??_

Disclaimer: Criminal Minds is not mine

* * *

They walked slowly in silence through the light rain back the way they had come. It was going to be a long trek back even as far as the railway line they had originally been walking along.

Every so often they stopped so Aaron could take five minutes rest and each time Spencer would ask Floyd to put him down to see if he could manage walking.

Which he couldn't.

The trio managed to get as far as where Reid had been dragged off the path by the time it got dark. At least now they weren't seeing the blood Spencer had left behind. His coat was laying sodden on the track.

Floyd sat Spencer down under a big tree just at the edge of the track and Hotch sat down with him. He pulled Spencer close. "Lay down and sleep." He said in a low soft voice. Reid sort of collapsed sideways and put his head on Aaron's lap, but closing his eyes was not going to be easy.

Flanders went and picked up Reid's coat and felt deep down into the pockets. A deep sigh and he returned to Spencer and Aaron.

"Two each." He put out his palm. Reid's pain killers. "It will take the edge off. Let you sleep."

Hotch looked up at Floyd. "No thank you. I can manage."

Flanders crouched down in front of Reid. "Just two babes. It will help."

Shaking hands reached out and took the two white pills from Floyd's hand.

"Thank you." A voice which could hardly be heard.

"Swallow them Spence. Don't crunch."

A small nod in return. Floyd was watching and so he swallowed knowing full well it would have no effect on the pain he was feeling. As soon as Floyd had turned his back he carefully ground them with his back teeth – needing to feel just that tiny bit of nothingness for a little while.

Flanders pulled out Aaron's blanket and laid it over them both. "I can't light a fire." He moved back away from them and leaning on a tree bent down and pulled his boots off. He curled his toes in the wet leaf mould. "Look after my boots. I don't wanna lose them." He chucked them over to Spencer then turned and started to walk back down the trail Reid had been dragged.

"Flanders?" Hotch. "Where are you going? You can't just leave us here. You said you would get us out of this forest." He could feel Spencer trying to sit up so put a firm hand on his shoulder to stop him.

"I'll be back later."

"Floyd?" Spencer's worried voice.

"I had an agreement. Now wait here. I will be back. Don't go without me." A half smile and he moved down the track at a jog.

"Aaron, stop him!" Reid tried to get up again but not only was Hotch stopping him but his head was swimming. The pain already fading. The memories getting cloudy. For now.

As it got dark and Aaron held onto Spencer tighter they listened to the night animals moving around. Nothing came near. The darkness no longer left like it was full of terrors any more. It was almost calming not being able to see what was there. Not knowing what it had been. Spencer thought if he had been able to see it he may have lost his mind. At least this way he could permit his imagination to smooth over it and make it less horrific than it was. He finally closed his eyes, and Aaron felt Spencer relax and his breathing deepen as he fell into a deep dreamless sleep.

………………….

Flanders jogged on for a short distance. He hoped he was out of range of their hearing but it was hard to tell. He stood and looked around. "OK here I am." There was sudden movement in the undergrowth. "I could argue that you broke the agreement." He got no reply. Floyd crouched and put his fingers to the ground and opened his mind just a crack.

A loud hiss.

As he lifted his fingers from the forest floor the hiss became a loud painful squeal. He put his hands to his ears just as something hit him from behind slamming him face first onto the ground.

…………………

Spencer woke with a start and Aaron's arms held him tighter – gently stroking his hair as a blood curdling scream ripped its way through the forest.

"Wh what was that?"

Hotch could feel Reid was shaking.

"Don't worry about it. Just forest animals." Now he was a liar too.

"No Aaron – that wasn't an animal." He was trying to get up off Aaron.

Hotch held him tightly to him. "I don't know what it was Spence. We need to stay here. Flanders told us to stay."

"Aaron – I thought you didn't trust him. You call him a liar. Tell him he is untrustworthy so why are you doing what he advised?"

Hotch sighed. "Because right now we have no option. I can hardly walk and you can't even stand. We are going no where. We are waiting at least until the morning. He said he would be back. Let us see if he will be." Hotch looked down at the pair of boots and very much doubted they would ever see Floyd again. "If not then I will take some of your painkillers, as will you and we will try to find our way out."

"I do need him. I don't expect you to understand." Reid was still shaking.

"I understand. More than you might think." Hotch was staring at the boots. "I don't understand why you let him hurt you. You know he is sick. He needs help."

"It's complicated Aaron. I don't know how to explain it."

"I'm not asking you to explain it Spencer. I just need you to be careful – and know I am here."

Reid snuggled back into Hotch and curled his toes with contentment.

……………………..

Floyd lay on his back. The thing had gone now. He just hoped it was appeased by the offering. For now he couldn't move. Right now he had to just lay and attempt to heal a bit. He didn't know how long he lay there but he knew he needed to get back to the others. Broken trust was a hard thing to mend – especially when you are a compulsive liar. Floyd let out a mad giggle. He knew Spencer would still trust him. He always would. Floyd had broken him a long time ago, it was Hotchner who interested him now. It was gradual and he doubted Aaron had even noticed, but he was slowly bending.

It hurt. It hurt so much. Floyd groaned and rolled over onto his side pulling his knees up in an attempt to sooth the pain and briefly wondered if he had ever hurt Spencer this much. He knew himself that through all and everything he had never experienced a pain like this. He opened his eyes and looked around for the clothing which had been unceremoniously ripped from him. At least if he had to lay here he could do it with some clothes on. He grabbed his jeans and firstly slipped his hand into a pocket. A tiny twist of cellophane and a few pills. It would help, but first to get dressed.

As he moved the world span and took Floyd to that place where there was no pain.

……………………

Birds were singing in the trees when Spencer opened his eyes again. The light was dim, but it was that early morning misty light. Everything smelt fresh. He stretched out his legs and let out a sigh.

"Good morning." Hotch leaned down and gave Spencer and quick kiss on the ear.

He rolled over onto his back and had a quick look around. "Is he……?"

"Not yet - no." Pushing Reid's hair off his face. "It's OK – we can wait. Give him time. You need to stay here I am going to see if there is any way I can get some water."

Spencer pushed himself up to sit. His throat was dry and his tongue felt sticky. He needed water but didn't want Hotch wandering off. Then again he was an FBI agent – he could take sitting in the woods alone for ten minutes couldn't he?

He watched Hotch get to his feet and close his eyes against the pain. "I won't be long Spence. Wait here. Don't move."

Spencer had no intention of going anywhere, except maybe to get his coat. He knew down in his pockets was something to make him feel better. Aaron would understand.

He waited until Aaron had disappeared down the track and then crawled over to his coat. He slid his hand into his pocket and pulled out a handful of pills. Most of them he put in the front pocket of his cords. The five still in his hand he quickly put in his mouth and then he crawled back to where he had been sitting.

"It's ok – He will understand. I am safe here. Floyd will be back soon." Muttering to himself as he put the pills in his mouth. "After all Aaron will be back in ten minutes. What can possibly go wrong in that short amount of time?"

He crunched down and slid gracefully to the forest floor.

…………………..

* * *


	12. Chapter 12 Ghu’h Da’q

Ghu'h Da'q

_Billy__: There's something out there waiting for us, and it ain't no man. _

Disclaimer: Criminal Minds is not mine.

* * *

Hotch was looking for leaves like the ones back with the blood fondue. Something big enough for him to cup and then collect water from the rain. He kept to the path and moved as quickly as his bruised body would permit. He finally saw what he needed. He reached up and plucked a few leaves from the tree. Now he needed to find water he could let drip into the dip in the leaves and get some water back to Spencer. He wasn't sure how long he had been but everything had remained quiet.

He saw the water dripping from leaves just off the pathway, so carefully he started to make his way over to it.

A snap in the undergrowth had him spinning, his heart pounding – hoping it was Floyd, because he didn't think it would be Reid. He looked over towards where the sound had come from and now a different noise. Something was being thrown – Aaron put his hand up to protect his face but it hit him just above the eye. He took a quick step back and looked down to see what had been thrown.

His heart was beating so hard he thought he was going to have a heart attack.

Reid's watch lay by his feet.

He thought of Reid alone back where he had left him and then remembered that Floyd had been wearing Reid's watch. He bent down and picked it up. There was fresh blood caked along the watch strap.

"Floyd?"

There was no answer and he didn't expect one. Floyd hadn't thrown this. He dropped the leaves and quickly and painfully made his way back to where he had left Spencer.

……………………..

When Aaron saw Spencer his stomach hitched. He was laying across the path on his side curled up hugging his knees and making strange noises.

"Spencer?" Hotch fell to hands and knees and crawled over to where he was laying. "Spencer – what happened?" He got no response – just some odd whimpering noises. He put a hand out and grabbed Reid by the shoulder. "Reid! Talk to me." He pulled him so he was laying on his back. Those strange open blank eyes again – his hands closed so tightly into fists that Hotch could see blood. Finger by finger Aaron pulled his hands open. He had cut into his palms with his fingernails. Laying now in his open hand was a ring. Hotch recognised it immediately. It was Floyd's.

"Where did this come from Spencer." He remained kneeling looking around for danger. Everything was quiet. Too quiet. Reid just lay looking at the sky, but Hotch could see now tear tracks down the side of his face. "He'll come back Spence. He said he would and he will."

He pulled Reid to him and held on tightly. A feeling of dread in his stomach. What the hell had happened to Floyd? Why wasn't he back yet? And why had his belongings been returned. Was this another mind game of Flanders?

……………………

"Ghu'h Da'q"

A voice in Floyd's ear.

"Leave me. Agreement is completed. Go do what you are here for."

A strange snuffling noise and it was pulling Flanders onto his back.

"No – no more." Weak protests on deaf ears.

He had no energy to scream out in pain again. He could smell fresh blood and then that feeling at the back of his nose and that special headache as his nose began to fill with blood.

Floyd turned his head to the side and closed his eyes wondering if Spencer and Hotchner were still waiting for him. He hoped they weren't because he was now having serious doubts about this special little agreement. Someone seemed to be taking liberties.

The rest he managed to blank out somehow by thinking of anything he could. The major part of this time was taken up by inventing new ways to cook different things. When finally the ripping tearing pain stopped and it released him he heard it move towards his head. It grabbed him by the hair and started to drag him back towards the path. He didn't protest. He didn't try to stop it. He just let it do what it needed to do.

………………….

Reid was beginning to wake up. Hotch saw him blink first and then his limbs started twitching. At first he thought he was going to start fitting, but after a minute or so it died down and Reid just lay still and limp in his arms. He could feel the steady breathing which felt so good. Hotch ran his finger over the scar on Reid's neck and it sent a shiver down his spine. Then a big exhale of breath and another blink. This time though his eyes made contact with Aaron's. Reid gave him a smile.

"Oh hi."

Aaron stroked Reid's hair. There was no point in giving him another lecture on this right now. It was something they could talk about later. When they were safe. "Do you think you can stand?"

"He's not back?"

A shake of the head. "Not yet, but I don't want to leave you on your own. There is still something out there and it is still making contact with us."

"Oh." Reid started to sit up. The pain was still somewhat shielded by all the drugs still running through his system.

A sudden noise to the side of them made Reid roll over and get to his knees. Hotch turned to look in the direction the noise came from.

They tried to see what it was. Probably a passing animal – but they couldn't see anything. But Reid knew if it was Floyd and if he didn't want to be seen then they wouldn't see him. He lifted his hands and looked at his palms. "What happened?"

"You took more painkillers."

He glanced over at Hotch and then back to his hands. "I was in pain."

"I know."

"What happened to my hands?" He ran finger over the crescent shaped cuts.

"You had a visitor whilst you slept. It left you this." He handed over the ring to Reid.

"Oh no." Reid just looked down at the bit of metal in his hand. It had smears of blood over it, but it could have been his own. He held the ring up to his face and smiled a very odd lopsided smirk. The ring was in his mouth before Hotch could stop him.

"Reid! What the hell are you doing?" He crawled quickly to his side. "Give me the ring." Hotch wasn't sure what to make of what Reid had just done. That thing had been covered in blood and now it looked like his youngest agent was sucking the blood off with a look of deep pleasure on his face. "The ring – now!" Once again making it an order.

Reid turned to look at him and took the ring out of his mouth. He looked confused and a frown passed over his face. "Floyd is close. I can feel him. I can smell him."

Hotch began to wonder if Reid was cracking under the strain of everything that had happened. This was meant to be a trip so they could relax. Floyd was going to show Reid how to fish and they were going to try to get on with each other. Why had Floyd brought them here? Although he denied it Aaron was sure he knew more than he was letting on.

Another noise. Closer. Very close. More than just movement. This time it almost sounded like a howl of triumph. Reid moved in closer to Hotch and the pair of them stared at the direction of the noise.

Then things started to get thrown at them.

A pair of black blood soaked jeans.

A belt.

Something which might at some point in its life been a pair of boxers.

A ripped blooded shirt.

A torn battered bleeding Floyd.

He landed with a soft splat and a groan in front of Reid.

………………………..

* * *

**A/N: sorry if this seems a bit short.

* * *

**


	13. Chapter 13 Pulling

Pulling

Disclaimer: Criminal Minds is not mine.

* * *

"Floyd!" Reid's voice came out a big higher than he would have liked. He went to move forward but was held back by his waistband by Aaron.

"Don't touch me. Go away and leave me alone. Both of you – just fuck off."

"Floyd – let me help you." Reid started to slap Aaron's hand away.

Flanders pulled himself up onto his hands and knees and turned to look at Reid. "Go home boy. Leave me alone. I am tired of you and your whimpering and crying. Just piss off and leave me." His voice was a low snarl.

"Flanders, we know you are hurting. Let us help." Hotch didn't sound as sure of this as his words.

Reid was nodding vigorously. "I have some pills. Take a few. They will help with the pain."

Floyd started to pull his blood drenched jeans back on. "Your pills. The ones you take down in the laundry so you can just lay there and get kicked? The ones which put you virtually comatose because you are a stupid pathetic child who can't resist the lure of a little white pill? Those pills? You expect me to want to be like you?" He was now pulling on his boots. "Well thank you for the offer freak – but I would sooner die than be like you." He stood up.

Reid got shakily to his feet and threw the ring down on the ground at Floyds feet. "Your blood on there. I thought you were dead."

Floyd bent and picked it up. "Could've been anyone's. That thing out there.." Pointing back the way he had been thrown from. "It plays games."

"I could taste it was you. So screw you Floyd." Reid turned and started to walk slowly away.

"You think this was my fault?" Shouting at Reid's back.

Not turning to look back. "I know it is your fault. I can see you are in pain, but Floyd it was your choice. No one told you to do it."

Floyd started to move fast now and was past Hotch before he could stop him. Floyd grabbed Reid by the shoulder and pulled him around to face. "Don't you walk away from me. I went through all of that to save your life your ungrateful little……."

Reid put his face up close to Floyd. Noses almost touching. "I would rather be dead than to spend another day in your company. Now you go back to your little friend and play your twisted games. I want no part of it, and I want no part of you."

"Too late! You are already part of me you stupid bit of filth." Spitting his words back as he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Enough. Both of you." A voice of authority. "What happened we cannot change what we need to do now is work calmly as a team and get out of this place as quickly as possible. I don't want to be here any more than either of you do and I don't want my chances of getting out alive diminished because you two are bitching."

Reid took a step back and looked over at Hotch and then back at Floyd. "Part of you?" and a small insane sounding giggle. "Never!" Looking back at Hotch's stunned face. "And you Hotchner can stop interfering in my life." He turned again and started to walk away.

Floyd felt the hand tighten on his shoulder and smirked inwardly.

He turned slowly and looked at Aaron. "We should follow at a distance." He put a hand on Hotch's back and gently started to guide him forwards.

Aaron shook his head and looked at Flanders. "You said to leave you."

The inward smirk fell away to be replaced by irritation. So much will power. So close to bending. "Well I am a fickle character Agent Aaron Hotchner and I like to watch his arse. He has a lovely walk – don't you think?"

Hotch felt his eyes drawn to Reid's retreating form. The way he walked with his elbows held in. The way his hips moved. The way his hair…..He turned back to Flanders and frowned. Something was going on. Something just wasn't right, but he couldn't figure out what it was.

Hotch's head felt foggy and he was finding it hard to concentrate. He looked at Floyd again and then started to follow Reid.

Spencer was walking slowly. Gradually the barrier the pain killers had given him was dropping away and again he could feel the places inside and out where something had torn and abused him. Small tears of anger were beginning to build up behind his eyes. All he wanted to do now was to go home and lock himself away from everything and everyone and never have to show his face again. He wanted to slide into oblivion and be free from this person who had been tormenting him since he was a child.

He knew they were walking behind him. Talking – touching each other. He could smell them. He could smell the cloying scent of Floyd and the heady smell of Hotch. Spencer stopped and closed his eyes. The need to turn and go back was almost too much. The need to feel Hotch holding him safely and to feel Floyds fists. It sent a shiver down his spine. It would have to wait. Maybe he was being too hasty in his decision to cut himself off from these two men…. No one man and one monster.

The two had stopped walking. He turned around to look at them and saw Floyd bent over and Hotch standing with a hand on his back talking quietly to him. What the hell was going on? What was Hotch doing talking to Floyd – getting close to Floyd. Flanders was his and right now he didn't much feel like sharing.

"Nice." He spat out.

Hotch looked up. "He has a nose bleed."

"And pawing my lover will stop it from bleeding?"

And the internal smirk returned. "Come show him how to stop it for me Spence."

Reid walked back over to Floyd and pushed Aaron out of the way. "Head up and back." He looked at Hotch. "Yes I realise that is not the normal way to do it so you can't stop looking at me like that." Looking back at Floyd. "Pinch the bridge of his nose. Somehow it stops it quite quickly."

Spencer waited for a few minutes watching Hotch out of the corner of his eye. Waiting for him to do something. Oh he knew Hotch would do something. He could sense it. Almost smell it. The deceit and he didn't want him claiming something which was him. Reid took Floyd by the hand and put his fingers up to his mouth. He watched Hotch watching him as he kissed each finger in turn.

"So are we going?"

Hotch was totally confused by Spencer's actions. He had never seen him act like this. Swinging from insane notions back to almost normal at the toss of a coin. He looked at Floyd and then back to Spencer. He had seen Floyd acting like it though. He was now worried for Spencer's sanity. He knew for sure that Flanders had some sort of mental illness and he knew Spencer always feared for his mental health. Maybe he was cracking under the strain of everything. Who wouldn't? He looked at Floyd who was looking at Reid with lust filled eyes.

Floyd wiped the blood from under his nose and grinned at Hotch. "I think we are ready to go. We all got that out of our systems now?"

Aaron said nothing but watched from Reid to Floyd and back again trying to work out what was going on and why he was suddenly not liking the way Reid was touching Flanders the way he was. He stood and watched Reid put his hand to Floyds face and push his hair back and behind his ears. He stood as his stomach clenched and watch Reid move in close and kiss Floyd gently on the mouth. He watched with a growing anger as he said a quiet "Sorry hun." And then watched in genuine surprise as he moved in and pushed Spencer out of the way.

Reid took a few steps back and looked at Hotch with a frown. "Stop pushing me around Aaron."

"Stop flirting like a little school girl." Hotch didn't even try to disguise the anger in his voice.

'_Game set and match!'_

………………………….

* * *

_Yet he was jealous, though he did not show it, For jealousy __dislikes the world to know it: -__Lord Byron_

………………………..

* * *


	14. Chapter 14 Going Home

Going Home

_To forgive is the highest, most beautiful form of love. In return, you will receive untold peace and happiness: - __Robert Muller _

Disclaimer: Criminal Minds is not mine.

* * *

The three of them walked in silence each bearing a resentment towards the other. Aaron was feeling more and more angry with Reid and the way he was acting with Floyd. Touching – holding hands and that stupid giggle of his. It was irritating beyond measure – and Floyd accepting it and enjoying it.

Reid didn't like the way Hotch was looking at Floyd. All that time he had been so against his friendship with him and now he was watching his every more and not in a suspicious way but with those dark eyes he usually reserved for him. It made his toes curl in the leaves and made his head spin with anger. He took a few painkillers and crunched down. He was more careful this time. He didn't want to sleep. He wouldn't sleep and leave those two alone.

Floyd was pissed off too. Yes he was pleased that Hotch was finally accepting the pull, but he was giving Aaron sideways glances which weren't so kind. Eventually Hotch stopped walking and frowned.

"Did I do something to offend you Floyd? because you have been giving me that look for the past hour now. If there is something you want to say then please say it, or keep that look to yourself or save it for Reid later."

Floyd looked at Reid who didn't stop walking but he could see the way his shoulders moved that he was listening and not liking what he was hearing. "Yes you did something to offend me and you don't even know what it is. That hurts."

Hotch frowned. "Then tell me what it was and I will try to fix it."

Now Floyd turned and looked at Aaron properly. He waited before speaking, listening for Reid to stop walking. Which he did. He heard his bare feet turn in the leaves and then Floyd started.

"Stop me when I get it wrong." He raised his voice to make sure Reid could hear him. "Whilst my 'friend' was having fun with My Spence and I was laying somewhere out there – well not somewhere I could probably show you the blood still – while I was laying bleeding – oh pinned to a tree – you crawled on hands and knees, ribs broken, your body hurting so much your couldn't stand – you crawled knowing you would probably die down there in that cave. Am I right so far?" Now he was shouting.

Hotch nodded still looking confused, but Reid had walked back to join them. Wonderful and oh so predictable.

"Where the hell were you when I was getting torn apart out there? He.." a gesture to Reid. "Doped up again and you? Were you crawling on hands and knees for me? Did you even look to see where I was? Did you come looking for me when you heard the screaming had stopped? No you didn't. I tell you why, cos the only thing ever on your dirty whorish mind is him." Again a gesture to Reid. "Try to fix it? You want to try to fix how that felt? You can't fix that Agent Aaron Hotchner. That was abandonment. You left me to die. And why was I being torn apart and abused by some monster? Because I begged it to take me rather than Spence. It broke the agreement – not me. So take that bloody look off your damned face."

"We were too injured to follow. You saw the mess he was in. I could hardly walk. What help would we have been?"

Floyd shook his head. "It would have shown you cared but you don't give a shit about me do you? You are just here to try to get into Spencer's pants."

'_Good one.'_

"It's not like that." Hotch put a hand out and ran his fingers down Floyd's arm. "We are hungry, thirsty and tired. We need to relax and try to think what to do."

Reid's eyes were fixed on Hotch's hand. He could feel a deep resentment building up. How dare he walk in and think he could take Floyd from him. Floyd was his partner. They lived together. Who the hell did he think he was?

"You would eat something I caught and cooked for you? No you wouldn't so tell me the point in trapping?" And he pushed Reid out of the way without even looking at him and started to walk.

Spencer watched Floyd walk down the pathway and turned to Hotch. "Nice one. Now look what you've done." He did a strange hobbling painful looking run to try to catch up. "F f floyd w w wait."

'_Oh joy – the stutter is back.'_

Flanders waited for Reid to catch up and walk beside him. He wrapped a protective arm around his waist and pulled him close. "You feeling any better Babes? I really didn't mean all that crap to happen. You know that don't you? You know I would never do anything to hurt you."

That rich smell of Floyd sent Reid's head spinning again, only this time a very pleasant feeling. "I know you didn't exactly plan for you to get mauled by whatever that was. You should never make a deal with an UnSub like that. It could have killed us all."

Floyd let out a little laugh. "An UnSub?"

"Unknown………….."

Floyd cut him short.

"I know what it means you fool. I just wouldn't have thought to call it an UnSub. I got the impression you got to know it quite well. Hardly unknown was it?"

Spencer stopped walking and stepped away from Floyd. "That wasn't even slightly funny. Do you have any idea what that thing did to me?" He felt Floyd reach out and hold his hand.

"Yes I have every idea. I have the same ideas myself sometimes. You just bring the animal out in me Spence."

A cough from behind and Floyd squeezed Spencer's hand.

"When you two are quite ready – we need to find a camp site. There is no way we can reach the railway by nightfall and even then we have quite a hike back to the car."

Floyd turned to Hotch and smiled. "How right you are. We need firewood too and water. Give me a minute."

Keeping hold of Spencer's hand he knelt down. A quick glance up at Spencer told him to crouch down with him. "Feel the ground Spence. Feel the vibrations."

Reid put his fingers on the ground the same way Floyd did and turned a puzzled face to him. "I don't feel anything."

A smirk. "Of course you don't my dearest Spence. This is why you need me to get you out of this place. You – both of you need me."

"I I I never s said I d didn't n need you."

A nod. "Just a small reminder." He stood up. "This way." He walked off the path into the darkness of the forest leaving a very puzzled Spencer and Aaron behind.

"What was that all about?"

Hotch walked to Spencer and put a hand out to help him up. "I don't know." He took Aaron's hand and stood up again. "You tell me."

Spencer looked down at the hand holding his and right now all he wanted to was curl up with this man and for once feel safe and needed but he looked over to where Floyd had gone and knew that as much as he needed Aaron to be there and to hold him and be protected and loved by him he needed Floyd too. He wanted them both.

Hotch was looking at Reid's profile. Perfection. He had never seen anything so perfect in his life. Even with the scratches and bruises there was nothing to compare with this sight. The sun shining through the trees glancing off his hair giving it that rich auburn glow. Hotch closed his eyes feeling the need to hold him closely but also knowing that Floyd was just beyond those trees and there was something strangely alluring about that man. Something he had never noticed before.

A voice from in the forest made them both look up. "Water and a camp site." A pause. "Are you two going to stand there staring at each other all night?"

Spencer pulled his hand out of Aaron's and looked him in the eyes and sighed and then the two of them went to find Floyd.

…………….

They had collected fire wood and had drunk water with cups made with their hands in a small stream.

Floyd – never one shy to show his body stripped off and washed. He stood in the knee deep cold water and started to splash the water over his cuts and scrapes. Reid stood and watched for a while. He turned to look at Aaron who was also watching.

Spencer rolled up his trouser legs and walked into the water with Floyd. He stood behind him and wrapped his arms around Floyd's chest. "I am sorry I mistrusted you."

Aaron walked back to the fire and sat with his back to them. He pulled his blanket over and pulled out Reid's torn and bloodied shirt. He held it to his chest and released a deep longing sigh. Why did he always go back to Flanders?

After about ten minutes of listening to his iPod which had somehow survived this adventure he turned to look. Just a quick glance. Reid's cords lay on the bank and he and Floyd were standing still just holding each other. Well Floyd holding Reid who was now standing in front of him his head tipped back while Floyd was breathing in the sweet scent around Reid's neck.

Aaron turned back to the fire quickly. A sick feeling of envy gripping the pit of his stomach.

Floyd heard Reid moan with happiness as he looked over at Hotch and felt Reid's hand move up to hold the one he had resting on his chest.

'_This was all too easy. I really thought Hotchner had more fight in him than this.'_

And a lovely smirk at the back of Aaron's head.

………………………

* * *


	15. Chapter 15 The Evening

The Evening

Disclaimer: Criminal Minds is not mine.

* * *

He caught fish from the stream – granted not very big ones but there were a few. Hotchner remained strangely withdrawn and quiet, his blanket tucked up on his knees.

Reid got dressed again and sat with his back to a tree looking at Hotch.

"Right." Floyd stood and rubbed his hands together. "Just over there are something's I need to make this food taste good and I am sure I saw something I can smoke. You two wait here. I will be just over there. Not out of sight ok?"

Aaron kept his head down. Spencer shrugged. "Whatever."

A frown across Floyd's face. They needed a boost and he was fresh out of smokes. "Spence you want to come and help?"

"No – I don't know what you are looking for."

Floyd shrugged and walked over towards some long grass at the edge. He started plucking stems and pulling up roots. Spencer watched him for a while and then walked over to Aaron and sat down.

"Hey." He said quietly. "You alright?" A very tentative hand reached out and touched Aarons knee.

Hotch just sat looking at it. "What's going on Spencer?" His voice was low – almost a whisper.

"Going on with what?" Fingers tightening on his knee.

"With you. With him."

Spencer had never seen Hotch like this. This wasn't the self confidant Hotch he knew so well. This wasn't his protector. He wasn't sure what this person was.

"Nothing which hasn't been going on for years. Nothing will ever change with him. He will always be the same." Reid looked over to where Floyd was collecting bit for the food and to smoke. "He's OK. He loves me Aaron. He would never hurt me."

"What are you talking about Reid? Just think about what you just said."

Reid got up and went back to where he had been sitting. Floyd was just coming back again and sat down with the fish and carefully prepared them. He got one ready and skewered it.

"Aaron." He handed the fish over. "Just hold it over the fire. You will know when it's done." He moved to Reid. "Spence – here." He gave him a fish on a stick. "Just do what Aaron is doing. Be careful. Don't burn yourself."

Flanders sat back and watched. His internal smirk got bigger.

He laid out on his lap a mix of herbs and leaves and grasses. He also had some large leaves. Like the waxy ones Hotch had found earlier, but these was beginning to dry out. He rolled himself the most vile evil looking smoke known to mankind and smiled at it. It lit with a 'fwump' when he put it to the flames of the fire. Then moved back and watched his two men eat. The smoke from the revolting thing he had made drifted over towards Spencer who was sitting chewing on his fish. Reid looked up pulling a face.

"This tastes strange Floyd. What did you put in it?"

'_Like I am going to tell you that.'_

"Stick more of those herbs in it." He gestured towards a pile of stuff on the floor.

Reid shook his head. "It's ok." It was unlikely that something which made the fish taste funny was going to make it taste good by putting more funny tasting stuff in it so he carried on eating it, even though it seemed to have a strange bitter taste to it.

Floyd watched Aaron picking at the fish and then back to Reid. He got up and walked over and then sat down with Reid. He watched him finish his food then offered the smoke.

"Here – mild painkillers in the grasses and berries, if you inhale."

"I don't smoke."

"You're not a junky drug addict either. It will help. Promise."

Reid awkwardly took it from Floyd. He looked up to see Aaron looking back at them and put the smoke to his lips.

He coughed and wanted to be sick. Beads of sweat popped out on his forehead and trickled into his eyes. It made his feel woozy and dizzy but he managed a sickly smile.

"Thank you. I'm not sure that is going to help though."

"Oh believe me Sunshine. It will do you the power of good." He gave his dog a friendly pat on the head and returned to where he had been sitting. He sat and looked over at Aaron and winked.

As the night drew in they each sat and watched the other.

There was no way in hell Reid was going to sleep. He didn't trust Aaron – or was it Floyd? He was getting confused about all of this now. One minute needing them both so much it hurt, yet the next not wanting to be anywhere near either of them or just wanting to be held and feel safe, or feeling that passion.

Aaron just sat and looked from one companion to the next. He was tired and headachy and actually needed to sleep. "I am going to take an hour or so. I need to recharge. Wake me up later."

He didn't wait for a reply. He wasn't expecting one and he didn't get one. Reid just sat and looked at Aaron curled up under his blanket and suddenly again felt that overwhelming need to be there too. Spencer yawned and looked at Floyd who was looking right back at him.

"Feeling tired? Lay down. I won't be sleeping."

"I don't want to sleep." His eyes were beginning to lose focus.

"I know you don't, but you look tired. Just relax for a while."

Reid tried to get up and move over to Aaron, but his legs wouldn't let him. He didn't think he had ever been this tired. He looked over at Floyd who was looking back at him. "What did you do to me?" His voice not much more than a whisper.

"Nothing babe. You know I would do anything to harm you. Just relax. I will be awake." And he watched Reid slowly slide sideways with a sigh. Floyd got up and moved over to him holding another smoke. "Spence?" A gentle tap with his toe. "Are you sleeping?" A shake now and smoke blown in his face.

A sudden stomach churning need came over him as he looked down at the drugged and sleeping form. It would be so easy and in the state he is in he probably would never even know but he knew he was still bleeding and the last thing he wanted was a dead Spence. That just wouldn't be right. He sat next to him for a while and then rolled him onto his back. Hot kisses on an unresponsive mouth; his hands ran over every bit of Spencer he could reach.

"You are so lucky you are in the condition you are in Spence." He ran his tongue over the sleeping mouth and then stood up and looked over at Aaron. This was the prize he was really after. This was what this had all been about. Now to go in with his winning ticket and make a claim. One more blast of smoke at Spencer who looked quite like an angel on his back there and now suddenly the urge to hurt. Again he looked over at the sleeping Aaron and then back to Reid. He crouched down and pulled his shoulder so he was laying on his side facing him. Defenceless and beautiful. Floyd stood up. His boot made hard contact with Reid's ribs and Floyd heard the sleeping Spencer let out a gasp. No blood though. He was in the mood for blood. The kick to Reid's face split his lip and made blood run from his nose.

"That's more like it." He watched the red ooze trickle down the side of his face for a while and then moved back a few steps. He wanted to remember that image. It gave him shivers down his spine and caused his toes to curl up inside his boots. Again he looked over at Aaron and now slowly made his way over to him.

"Aaron? Are you awake?" A sleepy muttering in reply. That was good, he didn't need him to be fully awake, just aware enough. He lay down behind Hotch and pulled the blanket over them both. Reid's ripped shirt was pulled from Aaron's hands and thrown the side. "We wont need that anymore." He wrapped his arms around the sleeping agent and planted soft kisses on the back of his neck. He felt Hotch adjust the way the was laying to permit Floyd to pull him in tight and close.

Floyd could smell the scent of manly sweat and leaf mould in Aaron's hair and his hands unclipped the jacket and then slowly and carefully unbuttoned the top few buttons on his shirt. He slid in his hand against the warm _'You can't have everything – every-time.' _skin. Floyd let out a soft moan of delight which was matched shortly afterwards by Aaron.

He didn't sleep. He hardly ever slept, but tonight he allowed his brain to relax and enjoy himself fully. He now knew what Spencer experienced when with this man. Total unadulterated peace. He closed his eyes and buried his head into the back of Aaron's neck.

………………………….

* * *


	16. Chapter 16 Three Way Split

Three Way Split.

_Why is there so much controversy about drug testing? I know plenty of guys who would be willing to test any drug they could come up with__: - __George Carlin _

Disclaimer: Criminal Minds is not mine.

**A.N: Due to crap happening at home this chapter might seem disjointed and/or very rubbish…sorry. :c(

* * *

**

Floyd first realised that something was not right when he got the kick to the back of his head and then the shouting started.

"What the hell do you think you are doing?!"

Crap – Spence the little angel had woken up. Now a hand in his hair pulling him back away from Aaron.

"Get your damned hands off me freak!" Floyd reached back and took hold of Reid's hand.

Aaron woke with a start and rolled over to see what was going on.

"You drugged me you bastard!" Spencer was shouting, his voice cold and almost spiteful.

Hotch didn't think he had ever heard Reid used language like this. He had definitely never seen him this angry.

As Floyd bent Reid's hand back to force him to let go he got another kick, this time to the face. Floyd felt the immediate gush of blood as Reid let go of his hair.

"You little shit!" And now Floyd was on his feet and his fist made contact with the side of Reid's head. Spencer took a step to the side almost tripping over Aaron who was getting to his feet. "Don't" another fist, this one on his left cheek bone. "Ever." And now to the right of his head "Raise." A kick now to the groin of Reid who was staggering back – now gasping and bending over. "Your" knee in the mouth. "fists." The eye. "to me" A slap this time as Floyd could see Reid losing his balance and falling backwards. "Again!" A boot on the side of Reid's face. Not stamping down but pressing.

It was only know that he could hear Aaron, and only now he realised Aaron was trying to pull him back. "Stop it Flanders – You are going to kill him. Back off."

He moved his foot away from Reid and spun to look at Hotch. "Always the bloody same with you two. He started the attack and I am the one getting chastised. This is worse than bullies in the school yard. You and your little BAU clan. Bastards both of you."

Reid was groaning and trying to get to his feet. Hotch was there crouched down next to him. "You OK Spencer?"

"Leave me alone." A low growl from Reid. "Just go away and leave me alone." He wiped the fresh blood off his face and watched Floyd picking his things up off the ground. What few things he had left.

"You all go rot for all I care. I do all this for you Spence and this is what I get back?"

"Do what for me?!" Feeling light headed and dizzy but getting up without the help of Aaron. Hotchner – now he knew where loyalties lay. "Take from me the few things I had. No not just take them – rip them away from me and destroy them. That's all you ever did for me." He turned and started to walk off in a wobbly line towards where they needed to go.

Hotch watched him and then looked at Floyd and then looked back at Reid.

Floyd looked at Hotch. He didn't take his eyes off him. If all went according to plan Aaron would stay here and let Spencer go.

"You didn't have to attack him like that." Hotch finally said and turned to look at Floyd.

"He kicked me in the head when I was sleeping. You want me to just say 'carry on lad tis no bother to me.?'" With his few things he started to follow Spencer.

Aaron snatched up his bits and then looked down at Reid's discarded shirt. He picked it up with a sigh and stuffed it back in the roll of his blanket.

"Did you drug him?" Hotch was following Flanders now.

"You ate the same as he did. You tell me. Did I drug you?"

"Why did you come to me last night?" Hotch was trying to keep up.

Floyd stopped and looked at Aaron. Slightly sweaty, his short dark hair messed up and dirt on his chin. Flanders smiled at him. "Why do you think I came to you last night? We have a history Aaron. I wanted to catch up a bit." He put his fingers on Aaron's chin and wiped the dirt away.

Hotch slapped his hand away. "We have no history Flanders. You just wish we did. There is nothing."

Not the reaction he had expected. '_Get home – get set up again – all will be fine. Don't let his set back bother you.'_

"Fine if that's what you want to believe." He moved off again in the general direction Reid had gone in, though he was now out of sight of them.

……………………..

Spencer didn't understand what was going on and now he had a stinking headache to put up with too and for some strange reason he was gagging for one of Floyd's smokes. It would have to wait. He looked down at his hands and saw he was shaking. He stuck his hand into his pocket and pulled out a few pills. He only had eight left now. They needed to last until he got home. Home with Floyd. Now that was going to be interesting. One small apartment and they not wanting to even be in the same room as each other.

Maybe he could go back with Aaron. No stupid idea, he was now comforting Floyd. In one fell swoop Floyd had taken everything. He wouldn't be able to face the guys at work after this. He would never be able to talk to Aaron again and he wanted nothing at all to do with Flanders. He had twisted and manipulated him for the last time.

His head was still not feeling right and after a small climb up a hill he wanted to just lie down and sleep again. He was bleeding again. Now would be a good time to just lay down and sleep. Maybe when he awoke he would feel better.

Reid pulled some pills out of his pocket and looked at them in his hand. Clutching them tightly he walked over to a tree and leaned against it. Tipping his head back and resting it on the trunk behind him. He tried to work out what had happened and what had gone wrong. Slowly he slid down the trunk as his head seemed to not belong to his body anymore. His nose had started to bleed again and his ear where the cockroaches had damaged him was dripping blood. He could feel it trickling down his neck.

Spencer wrapped his arms around his knees and looked at the pills again – his vision was becoming cloudy and strangely disjointed.

He had all eight nestled there in his hand. That would surely take this pain away. As he put the first one in his mouth his breaths came out as sobbing gasp. With the second one came a strange buzzing in his ears. With the third his hands started shaking. The fourth seemed not to do much – yet. The fifth one wanted him to lie on his back. The final three went in together – and they demanded he lay and look at all he had done and not done and realise this was all his fault.

The seizure didn't last long.

…………………………

About half an hour after Reid had been here Floyd arrived at the bottom of the small incline. He could see where Reid had climbed – leaving marks in the wet earth with his toes. He smiled at the vision he had in his mind – but the smile didn't last long.

Something was wrong.

Hotchner was just coming up level with his and about to pass when Floyd put a hand out. "Stop – wait a minute."

Flanders crouched down as Aaron had seen him do so many times on this trip and touch the ground with his fingers. It was very much like the way he would touch an unknown door before going through it. Feeling for warmth, or cold, or vibrations. He stood and watched Floyd and frowned. "What's wrong?"

He turned his face up to Aaron's. "I'm not sure. I can smell something." Hotch could see Flanders taking in the scent from around them. "Spencer. Something is wrong with Spence." A quick look of alarm dashed across Floyd's face, so fast you probably wouldn't have seen it if you weren't a profiler and the team leader of an elite unit. Hotch saw it and for Floyd to be worried about Reid meant something was very wrong.

Floyd virtually flew up the slope. Hotch had not seen him move like that since – well ever – though he had that sensation of movement back in the cave. Hotch followed at the quickest run he could manage with his ribs and other pains which seemed to have diminished quite a lot during the night.

……………………..

Flanders stopped at the top of the hill and looked around him. He had been expecting to see or at least hear Spence from here but there was nothing. He looked back at Hotch and frowned. He thought he was past feeling for Spence and moved onto Hotch, but maybe he just needed both. But where the hell was Spence?

"Spence babe, where are you?" He was calling when Hotch reached the top. Again he took in the scent and began to run off the trail to the side.

He found Spence.

Hotch and Flanders stood and looked down at him.

"Spencer?" Aaron

"Oh shit." Floyd.

………………………

* * *


	17. Chapter 17 Fingers and Toes

Fingers and Toes.

_The question is not, "Can they reason?" nor, "Can they talk?" but rather, "Can they suffer?": - Jeremy Bentham_

Disclaimer: Criminal Minds is not mine.

* * *

Spencer lay with his eyes open staring at the sky. A fly was walking across his face. Pink foam and vomit was dribbling out of the corner of his open mouth. His fingers twitched slightly and it was this that pulled the two men out of the shock and down on their knees next to Reid.

Floyd felt for a pulse and looked over at Aaron. "Faint." Was all he said.

Not knowing what had caused it was the main problem but the bruise coming up around his eye, along with the split lip and the fist marks on his face was to Aaron the first clue.

They needed to get him breathing properly and that wasn't going to happen with a mouth full of blood and vomit. Floyd looked over at Aaron again. "Clear his mouth out, I'm going to get something." But first he slid his hands down into the pocket he knew Spencer had this final few pills. By his calculation he should have between ten and seven left. His fingers found nothing. Again Floyd looked over at Aaron who was talking quietly to Spencer and trying to get as much muck out of his mouth as he could. "I think he has over dosed." Floyd stood and ran fingers through his hair. "Hell Spencer – why this – why now?"

Hotch looked up at Flanders. "Why do you think now? Just think what you have put him through in the last few days. Go do what it is you need to do, but consider your actions for once. This is your doing so don't you try to put the blame anywhere else."

Floyd took a few steps back. He could still smell that awful smell of death. "I didn't do this." And he turned and walked off between the trees.

Hotch stayed with Reid talking to him – trying to get him to respond. He still had a pulse his breathing was shallow and bubbling but his eyes just stared off into nowhere – his fingers still twitching.

Floyd walked for about five minutes. Just long enough to be out of sight and leaned against a tree. He put his hands to his eyes and rubbed. There was an odd stinging sensation behind his eyes. He looked at his hand which hand been itching and stinging for the last few days and saw it had tiny red pin prick dots all over it. He looked at it carefully and then looked back the way he had come from. There was absolutely nothing he could do for Reid if he had taken too many of those pills. He knew of no herbs or mixes he could use in this situation. He slid down the tree and looked at his other hand. He could see the small spots beginning to appear there too.

Frown.

He removed his boots and took a long look at his feet. Between his toes, top and bottom. Right foot was looking not so good. Left foot so far clear.

'_Godamn it.'_

He took one last look at his toe nails and then put his boots back on. He needed a smoke. The answer to everything he was sure. Maybe not the answer to Reid's little problem, but the answer to _his_ immediate one.

He started walking again, this time watching out for plants and leaves he could use.

……………………..

At first Spencer really wanted to stop this feeling. He wanted to take a deep breath and pull himself back from wherever he had slipped into.

But he could feel arms around him and hands touching his face and hair, though he couldn't see them. He had a feeling someone was talking to him. Soft breath on his skin. The occasional feeling of a kiss, but they were soft hands. Not Floyd's calloused rough fingers. This was Aaron. This was safe. He could allow himself to stay here for a while. At least here Floyd wouldn't hurt him.

He wanted to respond and reach out to Aaron but he couldn't – he had to just lay and try to breathe through the muck which had collected.

The feeling of being moved and held. He asked his eyes to focus just once to let Aaron know he was here waiting to be released again. Just once – a few seconds of eye contact was all he needed, but he wasn't allowed. He had to stare into the nothingness he had taken himself to.

The irony of it was he still felt the pain. He still felt where he had been ripped apart inside and he could still feel where Floyd had punched him in the face. None of the things he was trying to escape from had gone and now he was unable to think of anything else. He could feel Aaron supporting his head and he knew he was talking to him but words were too far away to hear so he lay and just listened to the words like he had listened to the butterfly mobile back in the hospital.

………………….

Aaron pulled Spencer onto his lap and supported his head with his left arm. A beautiful man.

"I'm here Spencer. You are safe. I just need you to keep breathing and look at me. Floyd has gone to get something to help. Just hang on. We will get you through this."

He didn't know how long he had been sitting there holding this treasure when he heard Flanders returning. He dropped down to his knees next to Hotch and dropped a small pile of berries on the ground.

"You still got that lighter on you?" He talked to Hotch but was looking at Reid.

Aaron pulled the lighter out of his pocket and Floyd pulled a vile looking smoke out of his and lit up. A long sigh and he held the lighter out. "You don't mind if I hang on to this for a while do you? I don't think we will be lighting anymore campfires."

Hotch nodded. "Keep it. What can you do to help Spencer? He is only just with us Floyd."

Floyd looked at Aaron and then to Spencer and then back to Aaron again. "Help him? Even if I could help him, why the hell would I?"

"I thought you went to get something for him!" Hotch was feeling that boiling anger building up. _Calm down Aaron. Showing anger never gets you anywhere._

"I didn't say I was getting something for him." He saw Aaron looking at the berries. "Oh right – you think sticking and berry up his nose will cure that stupid child of a drug overdose? That would be a bloody miracle cure. I would be a fucking millionaire if all I had to do was chuck a fruit salad at someone and they were cured of all ailments." He stood up holding the smoke in between his fingers. "I needed a smoke." He breathed vile smoke in Aaron's face. "If he was going to die he would've by now. We need to move out of here or we will never get back. Let me carry the fool."

Aaron had no choice there was no way he would be able to carry Reid for any kind of distance so handing him over to Floyd was the only option he had.

………………..

Reid could feel he was in different arms now. These were the calloused hands. The hands which hurt. Today though they felt gentle and loving. He could feel the arms around him carrying him out of this place of hell. He could smell Floyd and although initially it made a strange twisting feeling in his stomach it changed as he let his mind relax. The cloying heady smell was mixed with the foul stench of what he was smoking. Spencer breathed in the smoke getting blown on his face and very slowly he felt the chemicals being drawn down into his lungs.

………………

They walked in silence. Occasionally they would stop and check Reid. Hoping to get a response of some kind from him –his fingers still twitching was the only sign that there was anyone still inside.

Floyd could see the bruises. He could see how Reid's eye was closing; he could see the mark his ring had left on Spencer's cheek – Hotch should have stopped him doing this to Spence. He should have shielded him from it. Aaron should have not been so receptive to him last night and this wouldn't have happened.

Spencer shouldn't have reacted like that. He was only hugging him. Not like he was screwing him. Well not literarily – maybe mentally but that's not the bleeding point is it? Spence should've known better than to attack him. What had he been thinking? He knows he wouldn't let it happen and not hit back. This was all Reid's fault. Everything. The whole shebang was Reid's fault. Him and his need to stand under a bleeding waterfall.

He looked over at Hotch and wondered what it would take to get the man into his bed without force or drugs.

Not much.

Floyd looked down at Spencer. This toy was finished with. Even if he recovered he didn't want it anymore. Too easy. Too dirty.

He opened his mind a tiny bit

_Spence?_

Floyd!

_Filth._

_Scum._

_Whore. _

_Trash._

_My little puppy. _

_Always there when I need to something to kick._

_Loyal little dog._

_White trash son of a bitch._

……………………

* * *


	18. Chapter 18 Home

Home

_The greatest __healing__ therapy is friendship and love.__ - __Hubert H. Humphrey _

Disclaimer: Criminal Minds is not mine.

* * *

It was nearly dark again by the time they stumbled their way to the car. Aaron opened the back door and Floyd (wanted the throw him but didn't) laid Reid carefully on the back seat and then tied the restraints around him.

"You want me to sit in the back with him?" Floyd thought it worth asking.

"Sit in the front where I can see you."

A grin spread over Floyd's face. "If that's what you want Aaron."

Hotch hated it when he called him Aaron. "The reason I want to see you is not for the reason you would like. I don't want you hurting him more than you have."

The grin turned into a smirk. "Well can we go then? There is something on television I would like to see." Hotch started the car and drove off towards home – no hang on –home is the other direction. "Where the hell are we going? Home is not this way."

"I'm taking Spencer to the hospital." No room for argument.

"You are joking. You are going to take him to a hospital. They will do rape kit on him. You want him to be questioned about what happened? They will section him Aaron. You can't take him to the hospital."

"He might die. I am taking him to the hospital. If you don't want to come with us say so I will pull over and you can get out."

Floyd moved a hand over onto Hotch's knee. Involuntary tingles shot up Aaron's spine. "Aaron listen to me. Think. You cannot take him to the hospital. They will ask questions. They will take photographs of the damage. The specialists will want to look. He will be prodded and poked and x-rayed and scanned. You can't to that to him. Look at him Aaron, how can to you that to him? He can't even defend himself. It's worse than what happened in the forest; at least there he could scream and call for help. They will rape him again Aaron. Please don't do that to him."

"He could die of those injuries Floyd we can't ignore them and get your hand off my leg."

"Sorry Aaron was that distracting? Anyway – he will heal – I am."

"Yes it was distracting, but not in the way you want. Flanders – I am taking him to the hospital."

"Take me home first then – it's not far out of the way." He moved his hand slowly up from near Hotch's knee to further up his leg. "Please Aaron. Just take us home. We can put him to bed, or give him a bath or shower. It will wake him up and the drugs will make their way out of his system. No police involvement. They will get involved. They will want to know what happened. Do you think they will believe us? _'A big monster raped him gov…wasn't me honest.' _It will be in the press. The whole of the FBI will find out. Think about it. It will be the end of his career. Possibly yours."

"I asked you to get your hand off my leg. Floyd remove it." Hotch pulled the car over. "Get in the back and check up on him. If you hurt him or do anything to him Floyd I will take Spencer so far away from you - you will never see him again. Do you understand?"

The hand slid its way up to its final destination. A smirk and Floyd was out of the car and climbing in the back. He pushed Reid's legs out of the way and then lifted his feet on to his lap and massaged them gently. "It's ok babes – it's only me. Aaron is taking us home." And a smirk as he saw Reid's toes curl up.

"I didn't say I was taking you home." The engine started up again.

Floyd frowned. "He just moved his toes Aaron. Come on now, take up home, let us heal in the comfort of our own bed."

Their own bed. Theirs. Hotch didn't like this but maybe Floyd was right. Take them home. Stay there with them. Keep an eye on things. If it gets bad he can call the medics. He took a right at the next intersection and started to go back towards Spencer and Floyd's place.

"On the condition I stay and if I feel the need I will call medics."

Floyd muttered a "Yes ok." But his mind was gone now looking at Reid's feet and slowly stroking them. His hand moving slowly up his leg.

"I can see you in the mirror Floyd. Cant you keep your hands to yourself for five minutes?"

…………………….

It took half an hour to get back, parked up, and back up to the apartment. Floyd took Reid straight to the bedroom and stripped him of the dirty clothes he was in and threw them away. Personally it wouldn't have bothered him – in fact Floyd's own black jeans were blood incrusted. It didn't bother him. Back to the kitchen and he set up the coffee machine.

"Take a shower if you want – I will find you something clean to wear." Hotch was standing looking around the apartment properly for the first time. It was a home. There were book shelves with Reid's favourite books, there was a place with all his comics ready to pick up and read. There was a table covered in scraps of leather, a big television, a squishy couch, nothing out of the ordinary. Reid's scruffy leather chair was over by the window. This was a home where two people were living and a pang of jealous scrunched his stomach. Floyd was watching Hotch standing looking around the room. "You want a tour? The place isn't that big really but we like it."

Hotch's attention was pulled back to Floyd who was standing holding a coffee mug in each hand. "Er – yes a shower will be good – but we need to get Reid cleaned up. Maybe a soak or a shower will help him."

The mugs were put down and Floyd nodded. "OK come with me, I will get you something to put on after."

Aaron still hadn't moved. "After what?"

Floyd didn't say anything but walked back to the bedroom. "Aaron – here."

Hotch joined him, looking over at Reid who was laying looking at the ceiling. "I still believe he needs hospital." Floyd chucked sweat pants and a hoodie at Aaron.

"I know you do. I think we need to at least wash the blood off properly and try to wake him. You carry him – I'll get the shower ready."

Floyd grabbed a couple of sarongs from the back of a chair and left the room.

Hotch bent over Reid and looked down at his face. His hair was quite long now and was straggly and dirty, but his face was still beautiful. With a sigh he put one arm under his legs and another under his back and lifted him. He was thin. His hip bones and ribs showing more than they should. He head lolled back. Hotch knew this was wrong they should be in the hospital. Maybe he could just carry him out of this place and take him to the car.

He looked up to see Floyd looking at him. "You coming?" and a snarky look. He turned around and Hotch could hear a snort of laughter.

Floyd had stripped down to his boxers and moved over to Aaron. Hand him over and strip. We will both need to be in the shower with him. Floyd took Spencer and walking backwards stepped into the shower. He held Reid tightly to him "Wake up Spence. I need you to wake up." He didn't look up until he heard Aaron stepping into the shower. Floyd carefully let go of Reid's legs but held him tightly to him so Spencer's back was to Aaron.

"Aaron – soap his back. I will hold him."

……………………….

Spencer could feel the hot water running over his tired body. He could feel Floyd holding him tightly and soft hands on his back soaping him. He tried to wake and put weight on his feet and Aaron and Floyd both saw the movement. Floyd smiled (yes not a smirk – must be a new moon) at Hotch and pulled Reid so his face and Reid's were nestling into each others shoulders.

Reid could smell Floyd and he could feel hot water. Floyd rarely washed let alone take a shower in hot water. He was doing this for him. He was doing this because he loved him? He didn't know. He wanted to get his eyes to focus as he felt the kind hands moving over his back and then down over his buttocks and the backs of his legs. So gentle and safe. These hands had never been abusive.

Now he felt the kind arms holding him and the rough calloused ones soaping his chest. (Floyd and soap?) These were the hands which hurt, the fists which punched, the teeth which bite, yet now they were kind and gentle and they weren't abusive. Reid looked into Floyd's eyes and smiled. A tingling in his legs let him practice putting weight on them and now a kind mouth on the back of his neck kissing where it hurt and whispering soft words into his ear.

"I told you a shower would wake him. Shall we get out and dry?" Floyd put his arms around Reid again and pulled in close but Hotch didn't let go yet. The three of them stood under the shower holding tightly to each other until the water ran cold.

……………………..

* * *


	19. Chapter 19 Sarongs and Hoodies

Sarongs and Hoodies

_Seduction is always more singular and sublime than sex and it commands the higher price__: - Jean Baudrillard _

Disclaimer: Criminal Minds is not mine.

* * *

Once the water was running cold Floyd flipped the off switch and they stood and shivered for a while. Just holding. Hotch was the first to talk.

"I will take Reid. Come help me dry him." He was looking over Spencer's shoulder at Flanders who gave a quick nod in return. He lifted Reid's head with his fingers and gave him a quick kiss on the lips.

"Beginning to feel better babes?" Spencer's eyes locked with Floyd's but he didn't say anything. He kept eye contact as Aaron carefully led a very wobbly Spencer out of the big shower cubical and into the bathroom proper. Floyd stepped out and stood and watched for a while as Hotch wrapped a white towel around him and started to dry this cold wet skin. Spencer stood with his hands against the wall shaking and watching Floyd. He let Hotch dry him and when his back was done he asked Spencer to turn so he could do the front.

His eyes flicked away from Floyd and he looked at Hotch. "Get your hands off me." A quiet whisper. He looked over at Floyd who was holding a sarong and snatched it from his hands. He let the towel drop and with shaky clumsy hands he tied it around his waist. The pale blue and white sarong slipped down to his hips. Hotch stood back and watched. He didn't want to crowd Reid. He needed to do this alone. He looked at Floyd who was watching Reid's retreating back with a frown on his face.

"I still think we needed to take him to hospital."

"No – no we can't."

"He needs help."

"The drugs are wearing off." Floyd picked up the other sarong and tied it around himself. "Get changed, you are dripping on my floor." He walked out to be with Reid.

"Wait. Floyd."

A smirk from Flanders. He turned with a scowl on his face – all traces of a smirk gone.

"What?" Aaron looked at the vision in front of him. Floyd's sarong also had slipped slightly showing off the pale flesh along his hip line in contrast to the slightly tanned upper body. His long hair wet and resting on his shoulders causing little dribbles of water to run down his chest. He shook his head and sprayed in a shower around the bathroom. Hotch still hadn't answered the question. "What's wrong Aaron?" Hotch shook his head slowly and started to pull on the sweatpants.

"Never mind."

Floyd turned again with the smirk crawling across his face as he went out to find where Reid had gone.

Spencer sat in his chair. His personal bit of space. Floyd rarely disturbed him when he was here. It was some strange rule he seemed to have given him self and stuck to most of the time. This – Spencer could safely say, was the only place Floyd had never hurt him. Always a first time though isn't there. Never let down your defences around that man.

Floyd knelt down in front of the chair and looked up at Spencer. Reid had his feet tucked up under him and was staring out of the window. He didn't even acknowledge Floyd's presence. He moved a hand up and touched Reid on the knee. "Babes you shouldn't be sitting like that. You will hurt your knee."

Spencer looked down at the hand and slowly put his over the top. "Get me a coffee hun?"

Flanders stood up and moved away a couple of steps. This was wrong. Something was wrong. A frown as he looked over at Hotch who was looking back at the chair Reid was in.

"Aaron?" Reid's voice. Picking up volume now. "Grab that graphic novel off the top of the pile will you?"

Hotch moved slowly to the pile of comics, and Floyd looked at him and shrugged.

For the next hour Spencer sat and read his comic and drank coffee. Hotch and Flanders sat on stools over in the kitchen area and watched.

"I am going to take him to the hospital Floyd. Something is wrong."

"It's not his body though it's his mind. I will call someone in the morning."

"He needs help. He can't pretend nothing happened."

"I know. I will look after him. Go home and sleep. I will call you if I need you." Floyd took the mug from Aaron's hand.

"I will stay if that is alright with you." He took the mug back and re-filled it.

Floyd sighed. "I wanted some private time alone with him."

Aaron sipped on his coffee. "That is exactly why I am staying."

"We don't have a spare room."

"You think I am going to be able to sleep after all this." Hotch felt a hand rest on the knee of his sweat pants.

"I still need time alone. You know? For private matters."

Hotch felt the hand tighten. "Your private matters are usually public displays. Why the sudden change?" He closed his eyes as he felt the hand move up his leg. "Please remove your hand."

"I didn't want to cause a rift between you and Spence. He needs his friends but he needs privacy too and you know this is our place. Not yours." The hand continued to move. Floyd felt Hotch put his hand over his and for a short while there was a pause before he lifted Floyd's hand and looked at him in the eyes.

"Don't."

"Why not?"

"You know why. Get me a blanket so I can sleep on the couch." He felt Floyd take his hand and put it on his knee. He looked down at his hand on Floyds bare flesh. "Please. A blanket." His voice very quiet.

"In the bedroom. Bottom of the closet. A pile of blankets. Help yourself." He watched Hotch move away and felt his had reluctantly (in his mind) slide from Floyd's leg. Flanders looked over at Reid and then back at Hotch walking away. He stood looking back at Reid again and then turned and followed Hotch into the bedroom closing the door quietly behind him and flicking the lock over to be sure.

Aaron was standing just staring at the closet door. "What are you doing Floyd?" Hotch could feel his heart pounding in his chest.

"I needed to make sure everything was understood. That you understand the situation."

Slowly Aaron turned to look at Floyd. "What situation?" He didn't sound like the usual – so sure of himself – Hotch. This was an uncertain one. A confused one. One Floyd could play games with.

He walked slowly over to Aaron and put a hand on his chest. "This situation. Our situation." The other hand he slipped up inside the hoody over Hotch's chest. His fingers moving slowly.

"We don't have a situation." The uncertain voice was now whispering.

Now Floyd was breathing in the scent of Aaron around his neck. "If we didn't before, I think we do now." Floyd was pulling the hoody off over Aaron's head. He dropped it too the floor and looked up at the taller man. He put hands on his chest and felt hands rest on his shoulders.

As his mouth made its way over Hotch's chest he could feel him trembling. He nibbled and licked and kissed down to the waist band of Hotch's sweat pants and paused and then made his way back up again – over his chest, across his throat, around his jaw line and finally a kiss on the lips. Quick and gentle.

Floyd pulled back "That is the situation Aaron." He took a couple of steps back. "Blankets are in the bottom left hand side. I am going to check on our dear Spence." He turned leaving Hotch leaning on the closet door with the hoody at his feet.

He bent down and picked it up and just stood holding it in front of him. _'What the hell just happened?'_

……………………………

He went and grabbed a couple of smokes out a drawer and picked up a silver lighter. He lit one smoke up and stood breathing in the fumes. He could see Reid out of the corner of his eyes looking up at him. Flanders looked over at him and smirked leaving the other on the counter where Reid could see it. Eventually he would ask for it or get up off his lazy arse and get it for himself. He would have to. Floyd had seen to that.

He walked back over to Reid who was looking at the same graphic novel he had been earlier. It didn't seem he had turned the page.

"Spencer, talk to me. What's wrong?"

Reid looked at Floyd over the top of his reading material. "You know what is wrong." His eyes were huge and his hair fell in an un-brushed tangle around his face. Floyd's stomach did an unwelcome flip as the comic lowered and he could see Spencer's mouth. Nothing ever could compare to that mouth. Flanders fingers moved slowly, his eyes mesmerised by those lips, he ran a finger slowly along Spencer's bottom lip. His lips moved slightly as Spencer hissed at Floyd.

"I can smell him on you. Don't touch me don't you ever touch me again."

………………………

* * *


	20. Chapter 20 Unknown Emotions

Unknown Emotions.

_To give vent now and then to his feelings, whether of pleasure or discontent, is a great ease to a man's heart: - Francesco Guicciardini._

Disclaimer: Criminal Minds is not mine.

* * *

Aaron stood in the door way of the bedroom. Hoody back on watching Floyd take the comic out of Reid's hands and ripping it into strips. He watched Reid from behind so he couldn't see his expression but it was a smug grin that Flanders had on his face.

Spencer didn't say anything he just stood and walked towards the kitchen area not looking at Hotch not looking at Floyd. He walked slowly, obviously still in pain, to the coffee machine – his greatest treasure Aaron would have thought. He unplugged it, and unscrewed any connections.

Hotch went and stood closer to Floyd but not in touching distance and glanced over at him. Floyd gave him a shrug in return.

Reid picked up the machine and walked over to Floyd. He was about five foot away from him when he hurled the machine at his feet. If the boiling water splashing Floyd's legs burnt him, he didn't show it – he didn't even flinch.

"There." Reid's voice full of the hatred he was feeling. "You have destroyed everything else I ever loved. I saved you the trouble." He turned and walked towards the kitchen.

Hotch looked from Floyd to Reid. His normal self confidence now shattered – unable to react.

Reid hadn't got far when the rough hands grabbed the back of his sarong. "Stop right there Spence and tell me what the fuck is going on."

He didn't turn. "I've had enough – is what is going on. You can't play your games with me anymore. I know what you are doing and it won't work."

"Spence babe – I don't know what you are talking about. I need you – you need me."

"Past tense Floyd – I needed you. I don't now. Let go of me."

The inner smirk had returned as he dropped his hand and watched Reid continue his walk to the kitchen. He took some paces backwards as the inner smirk escaped onto his lips. He watched Reid pick up the smoke and place it between his lips and then pull out a small box of matches from the drawer. Hotch watched Reid light up and inhale deeply. Spencer looked up at the two men watching him.

"I'm going out."

"You are leaving the mess on my floor?" Floyd sounded surprised.

"You don't like the mess Floyd, you clean it up. I've spent enough of my life in your mess. Now you can spend some time in mine." He walked to the bed room and slammed the door behind him throwing the lock as he leaned against the door putting the disgusting home rolled cheroot thing in an ash tray on the side of the chest. He walked to the closet and pulled out Floyd's heavy coat and well worn hat. He then went to the chest of drawers and took some black boot-cut jeans and a white shirt. He walked with the things back to the door and turned leaning his back against it and now allowed himself to slide down and sit on the floor – legs bent looking straight ahead as the tears tumbled. He wiped them angrily from his eyes and then buried his face into Floyd's clothing. Taking in that smell he so loved and needed.

………………..

Floyd started to pick up the bits of broken machine off the floor. "I would offer you a coffee, but seems that the machine's not working."

Aaron crouched down next to Floyd and helped him pick up the bits of glass and broken plastic.

"I've got his Aaron. Go rest on the couch. I need to do this – it's part of my anger management." A little chuckle. "And right now I want to kill that son of a bitch and cook him up for Sunday dinner. Just either go home or keep out of my way."

Hotch moved back and sat on the couch watching the bedroom door. Looking at the shadow showing under the gap at the bottom of the door. Reid was sitting there, unmoving. Aaron sat with his elbows resting on his knees. He too needed to cut him self off the way Spencer had physically and Floyd was now mentally. He listened to the sounds of Floyd sweeping the floor and then the strong smell of bleach assailed his senses. Floyd was washing the floor again. Hotch leaned his head back and looked at the ceiling.

How long he stayed like that he didn't know, but when he opened his eyes again the cleaning had stopped and the light under the bedroom door was gone. Someone had turn out the light. He gave a quick look around for Floyd. Aaron looked again at the door to their bedroom and sighed. He stretched slowly and looked once more at the door to their domain and stood – snatching his keys off the side table. Again a deep sigh as he walked towards the elevator and left – making his way to the parking level. To get his head straight on exactly what was going on he had to get away from this place.

………………………

Reid lay on his back on the bed. His hands were tied to the metal bedframe above his head. Again his lip was split, the bruise above his eye was getting deeper and there were fresh boot prints across his chest and abdomen, finger marks on this throat. The blood from his nose was trickling down the side of his face and partially soaking into the gag he had stuffed in his mouth.

Floyd was sitting in the corner of the room staring at his hands and rocking slightly. The cleaning hadn't helped stop his anger today. Today he thought he had killed Spence. Today was probably the first time – maybe not – but probably the first time he had wanted Spence dead. He had choked him until he stopped struggling and then beaten the unconscious man until his fists hurt. Now he could hear the rattle of the elevator going down. Floyd looked over at Spencer and then at the door and back to Reid. There was nothing to stop him now Hotch had left. He could finish the job. Snap Reid's neck. Put the scum out of his misery. Then it wouldn't matter if he took this abuse a step further than he had. For now he felt that was the only thing he wouldn't do to him and now in Floyd's confused mind he couldn't work out why.

He stood slowly and walked to the closet. He could see Reid watching him.

"You should know better than to touch my things." A snarl from Floyd, but again there was something going on in his head he didn't understand. Unknown emotions flooding his brain. He wasn't saying what he was feeling. Flanders ignored the eyes staring at him and pulled clothes from the closet. "I have cared for you since you were a child. I protected you. I loved you and you just threw it right back at me. All those years Spence. All that time we spent together and it meant nothing to you." An inner snarl was trying to break through and Floyd was holding it back. If he let it go now he would do something he would severely regret as soon as he did it. He had enough control still left to realise that. Keeping Reid gagged for now was the only way he was going to maintain this pretence of hatred, when deep down it was a never ending undying love. Something he wouldn't permit to ever show. A weakness which had slowly crept in without him noticing and now it was too late.

The bag stuffed with essentials he walked over to Reid and untied his hands. He turned and left the room without looking back. If he had he knew he would have to return and make better all he had done wrong.

…………………….

Spencer move shaking hands to the gag around his mouth. He had taken beatings from Floyd before, but in the past he had seemed to be enjoying it. This had been different. A uncontrolled rage. He heard the elevator clanking its way up and then the sound of the door being pulled open. He wanted to call out and beg him to come back again but his throat was swollen and sore and no sound came out. He needed to say sorry and now it was too late. The sound of the door being closed and the clattering of the descending elevator and Reid lay and bit on his bottom lip sucking in the blood feeling the hot tears running down the side of his face.

……………………

Hotch stood alone in his big empty house still wearing the hoody and sweat pants. They didn't expect him back at work for a few days so now he had time to try to work out what had happened over the past few days. He walked to the kitchen flicking on lights as he went and found himself standing in front of the coffee machine. He filled it and turned it on and just stood watching it thinking of the things which had happened over the past year or so. He thought of Haley and Jack. He thought of Elle and of Gideon. He thought of Floyd and Reid. He thought how empty his life had suddenly become. Finally he had all he ever really wanted. The BAU without the distractions of a home life or having to see Spencer everyday as he very much doubted that broken young man would be working for the FBI anymore.

Aaron walked back down the passage flicking off the lights again. Haley hated the lights being left on. Spencer hated them being turned off. He found he had walked to the lounge and was standing looking at photos of Jack on the mantle piece. He stood in the darkness his heart thumping in his chest his eyes trying not to betray how he was feeling.

When he knock came at the door he nearly dropped his mug. He looked at the coffee table and put the mug down on a coaster and then walked to the front door. He could see a shadow the other side but the porch light hadn't come on. Aaron unbolted the door and swung it open.

"Floyd?"

Flanders stood in the shadows looking at Aaron in the eyes. "He threw me out. I don't suppose you have a bed I can borrow for the night do you?"

……………………………..

* * *

_One's suffering disappears when one lets oneself go, when one yields - even to sadness: - Antoine de Saint._

…………………………….

* * *


	21. Chapter 21 Twist

Twist

_We should meet abuse by forbearance. Human nature is so constituted that if we take absolutely no notice of anger or abuse, the person indulging in it will soon weary of it and stop: - __Mohandas Gandhi_

Disclaimer: Criminal Minds is not mine.

* * *

Reid rolled himself over onto his side. Any part of his body that hadn't hurt before did now. Usually when he was feeling this bad there would be someone to hold him and make it go away. Sometimes that person was the one who had done the damage in the first place. Other times it was Aaron. Now those things were gone. Gideon was gone. His father long gone and his mother may as well be gone. He had nothing. Slowly he rolled off his bed and walked to the bath room. He turned on the hot tap and watched the steam slowly cover the mirror.

Spencer took a pot of painkillers from the shelf and shook a hand full into his palm then looked back to the mirror. He lifted a shaking finger to the glass and wrote HELP.

He leaned against the cold bathroom wall tiles and looked down at what he had in his hand.

……………………..

Floyd stepped into Aaron's house, dropped his bag onto the hall floor and kicked the door shut behind him.

"Spencer threw you out? And you accepted it?" Hotch was stepping away from Floyd."

A shrug. "We need a break from each other and I wasn't going to let him come here, not to you."

Hotch had backed up against the wall. He wasn't sure quite what was going on, but the thumping of the heart and the twisting in his stomach felt wrong and oh so good at the same time. "He shouldn't be left on his own Floyd. He's not well."

Floyd was in front of Aaron before he could blink. Again a hand sliding up inside the hoody he had on the other hand wrapped around the back of Hotch's head holding him in place and pulling him closer.

Aaron started to say something, but Floyd's mouth grinding hard against his lips stopped him from saying anything more than a whimper. Lips on lips – tongues touching tongues and hands moving into new positions – with a moan the two slowly slid to the floor. All the time screaming the back of Hotch's mind _'Stop – this is wrong.'_

Floyd moved Aaron so he could hold and touch him and as the shaft of light from the moon hit Floyd across the face Hotch saw it. He pushed Floyd away from him roughly and placed his hands on his shoulders to stop him getting closer and to see if what he had seen was real.

"What in hells name have you done?" Hotch now looked at Floyd's hands. "Please tell me that isn't blood."

"It isn't blood." And Floyd was trying to push Aaron's hands off him so he could get closer.

Again Hotch pushed Floyd back. This time a hand under his chin pushing his head back. Unlike Spencer, Hotch was quite able to fight off an assailant. "I know blood when I see it Flanders, what have you done?"

Floyd backed off and knelt on the floor in front of Aaron. "Why is I always me? Why do you assume it is me?"

Aaron sat and stared at the blood splattered man in front of him. "Because generally it is you. Whose blood is that?"

"I split my knuckles – it's nothing." He started to move towards Aaron again.

"Split them on what? You don't get blood splatter on your face from split knuckles. Please tell me that's not Spencer's blood."

A sigh. "It's not Spencer's blood." He ran a hand up Aaron's leg.

"Then – whose – stop it – whose – b blood? Whose b blood is it?" Aaron realised with horror that he stuttered his question out the same way Reid would. It was pure fear of what Floyd may have done as he pushed Floyd's hand off him again.

"Does it matter?" Still moving forwards. This bloke was a struggle to catch and now it felt like he was slipping off the hook again.

"Yes it matters! What have you d done?!"

"When I left the two of you were in the bedroom together – why did he throw you out? What did you do?"

"Nothing ! Well something – yes – ok something – but he'll get over it." A smirk.

Aaron was confused. When he left the two of them had been getting cosy in the bedroom – in the dark – in silence. "Something?"

"OK – I gagged him, beat the shit out of him and then tied him to the bed to stop him running back to your for his fucking post beating cuddle."

Hotch stood up and looked at the man still kneeling on the floor in front of him. "I really hope that is another of your lies."

Floyd got to his feet trying to think what to do next. "You seem to be able to tell when I am telling the truth, so tell me. Did I or didn't I?" Moving in for the kill again but his prey escaped once more. _'Bloody hell this man is a struggle.'_

He watched with a pissed off feeling building inside him as Hotch walked quickly into the lounge and picked up the phone. He saw him hit speed dial and stand holding the receiver to his ear. _'Sorry we are not able to come to the phone right now. Please leave a message after the tone.'_ And a beep. "Reid pick up. I need to know you are alright." Eyes making contact with Floyd. "Reid please pick up." A click as the phone cut off.

"He's probably in the tub." Floyd was making his way over towards Aaron again watching as Hotch got a dial tone again and hit another speed dial. It rang four times before someone picked up.

"Morgan, It's Hotch. I need you to go over to Reid's place and check he is ok."

"_I thought you were on a great outdoors adventure. You are home early. Did something happen?"_

"Please Morgan, just go and check up on him. Break in if you have to."

"_I'm on my way."_ And the line went dead.

"I told you he is fine. Why do you have to bloody check up on what I say? What is it about you? Why do you always think you are in the right and me wrong?"

Hotch could feel the spite in Floyd's voice now and took a step back away from him. His gun was securely locked away, well the one which Floyd hadn't done a disappearing act on in the forest. "You can't bully me like you did Spencer. So forget it Floyd. Back off away from me."

"I'm not bullying you." He picked up Hotch's phone and hurled it at the fireplace. "I am showing you what happens when you cross me." Another step and he was so close their noses almost touching. Hands on Hotch's shoulders eyes locked and a knee in the groin. As Hotch let out an involuntary gasp and bent forwards he got a knee to his face.

…………………………

Morgan tried the entry phone and got no reply. The elevator was at parking level and the door pulled closed. On further inspection though he realised it wasn't locked. He pulled open the door and stepped in. He didn't like intruding in Reid's private life – especially now he seemed to be with that maniac all the time. There was a flashing red button. Morgan pressed it and the car slowly clanked its way up.

Cautiously and not knowing what to expect Morgan slowly pulled the door to the apartment open. It was in total silence. He could smell bleach. "Reid buddy, are you here?"

Silence.

A quick glance told him he wasn't in the lounge or kitchen. The bedroom door was open. He walked quickly to see if Reid was there. The door had been broken open. The lock was ripped out of its housing but the room was empty. Well empty of Reid. The other thing in there which caused the hair to stand up on the back of Morgan's neck would wait.

The bathroom door was closed. He knocked gently. "Reid are you in there? Answer me man, or I will kick my way in." Still silence. An alarming silence. "OK – keep away from the door, I am coming in." He shouldered the door and it popped open easily. Reid was curled up in the corner of the bathroom looking at his hands. "Reid?"

Morgan quickly made his way to him kneeling down to get a better look. He was covered in black and yellowing bruises. Derek put a hand to the side of his face and gently lifted his head so he could see him. "Shit man, did Flanders do this to you?" Morgan looked at the battered face, the split lip, the bloodied nose, the cuts across his eyebrows where he had been punched more than once in the face. The skin was split along one cheekbone. There was blood encrusted in his hair and down the side of his neck. "Was this Flanders?" Though Morgan knew the answer.

A small shake of the head.

Wasn't the answer he had expected. He looked down at the hands Reid had been looking at. One open palm up the other closed in a fist. "What have you got there?" Carefully trying not to hurt Reid more than he already was he prised his hand open. It held quite a few small white pills. He looked back up at Reid who was looking back at him, tears now running down his face making clear tracks through the blood. "This isn't the answer Reid." Morgan wanted to be cross. How could someone batter another down so much they would rather be dead than fight it? Why would someone do that? He took the pills from Reid's hand and threw them down the toilet. "Let me help you back to your bed." Then he remembered the blood had seen in there.

He pulled out his cell to call Hotch and felt a hand over his. "D d don't c call H hotch."

"He is worried about you. He called me and asked me to come and check up on you. He's gonna want to know y'a ok."

"F f floyd. P please c call F floyd."

……………………….

Floyd stood in Aaron's kitchen watching the coffee machine heat up and smoking something vile. There was fresh blood on his hands and a victorious smirk on his face. His cell rang. The smirk spread to encompass his whole being as he flipped it open.

"Flanders – what do you want."

A pause.

"I I'm s s sorry."

……………………………

* * *

_If you were going to die soon and had only one phone call you could make, who would you call and what would you say: - Stephen Levine_

…………………………..

* * *


	22. Chapter 22 Family

Family.

_The advantage of the __emotions__ is that they lead us astray__: - __Oscar Wilde_

Disclaimer: Criminal Minds is not mine.

* * *

When Morgan couldn't get a reply from Hotch he had to make a decision. Leave Reid here and go and investigate or take him with him. The latter not being the best idea.

"I am going to check up on Aaron. I need you stay here and lock the elevator. I will call you when I need you to let me back in."

Reid was sitting on the edge of his bed. The shaking had died down a bit now and he just had the overwhelming need for a drink and a smoke. This was not something he was willing to share with Morgan though so the prospect of him leaving to check on Hotch was for Reid quite a nice one.

A nod.

"Are you sure you will be alright. You're not going to do something stupid?"

Reid looked up at Morgan with his battered face and smiled a strange half smile. "I am a genius. Why would I do something stupid?"

Morgan patted him on the knee and stood up. "Remember to lock down the elevator as soon as I go."

A quick nod. "I will remember."

Reid waited for a few minutes after Morgan had left then stood to go put the lock on.

………………………………

Morgan stepped into the elevator and pressed the down button. It clanked and rattled its way back down to the parking level. He was now worried about Hotch and pulled his cell out of his pocket to try calling him again. One hand on the door handle, the other on his phone his eyes looking down. He fire poker smacked him hard across the face. As he shouted out and started to defend himself the metal poker hit him across the side of the head stunning him. He felt his knees go weak and felt the phone falling from numb fingers.

Derek didn't see who it was who hit him as the assailant was now behind him as he fell to the floor. As the lights dimmed he could feel the object being smacked down again onto the back of his head.

The phone was kicked out of the way and stamped on.

Morgan was dragged out of the way of the doors and along to his car where he was left. His wallet was taken and the cash and card removed.

The card was then dropped down the nearest drain and the wallet dropped on the floor. Money in pocket he went to the elevator and pressed the 'up' button.

………………………

Reid walked from the bedroom to go and lock the elevator. He stopped and stared at the person standing in the lounge.

"Floyd?"

"Hey babes – are you feeling alright?" Floyd walked quickly towards him. "You really should be laying down you know." He took Reid by the hand and led him back to the bed room. Their bedroom.

"Where have you been?"

"Out, thinking, stuff you know? About us and what to do."

"There is no us Floyd. There is you and I. We are not an singular item."

He turned and started a slow painful walk back to the bedroom.

"There will always be an us." He watched Reid for a while then walked to the kitchen. He called back to Reid. "I would make you a coffee babes, but someone had a tantrum." He took 2 tumblers from the glass fronted cupboard, half a bottle of whisky a couple of smokes from the drawer and the silver lighter and then followed Reid into the bedroom

"You still haven't said where you have been. You are covered in blood." He was laying on his side on the bed.

"Nu hu. Here have a drink."

"Nu hu? What sort of answer is that?" He took the drink. "You smell of blood." A frown.

"You don't need to know all the details about everything I do. It will only distress you." He put a lit smoke between Reid's lips. "Have a smoke and a drink and relax."

…………………………

He pulled himself to his knees and looked around. The room had been destroyed. The pictures on the mantle where smashed the leather couch was ripped the television smashed. Nothing taken, just broken and destroyed. His face was bleeding from the knee to the nose and mouth. His head was bleeding from being smacked with the poker. His cracked ribs was hurting again and he had bled all over the floor. That didn't matter. What mattered was that Floyd had searched the room and ripped up all pictures of his former family and destroyed all evidence that they had existed.

Hotch got groggily to his feet and looked around at the destruction. Carefully and painfully he walked out into the hall. There were occasional drops of blood on the floor which had probably dripped either from Floyd or from the poker he had been carrying. The blood trail went up the stairs and few step before petering out. He had to crawl up the stairs to see what Flanders had been doing upstairs in his house. At the top of the stairs he pulled himself painfully to his feet again. His head spinning and his eyes finding it hard to focus. He looked down the length of the corridor. All doors were closed but one. His bedroom door.

Putting one trembling hand on the wall for support he walked slowly and carefully down the passage way towards his bedroom. He stood and looked in the door way. Again the room had been destroyed. His clothes were on the floor shredded the bed was cut and ripped. More photographs were strewn over the floor. He felt a stinging behind his eyes. Floyd had targeted things to do with family and love.

Aaron walked into the room and sat on the edge of the slashed bed. Sitting in the middle was a photograph. Hotch picked it up and looked at it. It was of him and Spencer standing in the foreground looking down at something. Floyd standing behind them looking amused. He ran a finger over the picture and let out a sigh. This was the message. He had to call Reid.

……………………………

The drink finished and the smoke gone Reid was now laying on his back. The marks on his face had surprised Floyd. He couldn't remember hitting him that hard and he had no memory of holding his throat so hard to bruise it like that.

"I'll get us another drink, you put this on." Another damned sarong. This one was pale green. Reid wiggled to the side of the bed and pulled the strange garment around his skinny waist and then stood. It immediately slipped down to his hips. One bony hip showing above the thin fabric. His head was woozy and his eyes were itchy. A side effect of the drugs and everything else he assumed.

"Floyd – I've been thinking."

Flanders jumped at the sound of his voice and dropped something onto the floor. "Shit Spence don't sneak up on people." Reid grinned and watched Floyd disappear behind the counter and pick something up. He stuffed it in his pocket. He then looked up at Spencer standing half way between the bedroom and the kitchen area.

That funny unwelcome flip happened again. It annoyed him. He didn't like feeling out of control and this funny feeling he was getting now made him feel like he was tumbling forwards head first into trouble.

"Floyd – what's wrong?"

Reid saw the look on Flanders face. Not one he had seen often but it was usually accompanied by a sudden flash of uncontrolled violence. He took a few steps back. He knew running was pointless. He knew Floyd was going to hurt him now whatever he did. Spencer stood and waited for the pain to start

He could smell Floyd and sense he was near. Then the hands. He flinched back from the hand on his face.

It didn't hurt.

The other hand wrapped around the back of his neck and pulled him close.

Reid closed his eyes in fear but the pain didn't come. Nor did the usual rough handling he was so used to. This was gentle. This was kind.

Soft kind loving words in his ear.

"Spence. You are so damned sexy, have I ever told you that?"

"I don't believe you have."

"You do things to me that no one else has ever been able to do."

"Really?" Said with a smile.

"I am finding it hard to cope with Spence. I don't know how to deal with these feelings."

Reid took Floyd by the hand and walked back to the bedroom.

Floyd handed Reid his drink and watched carefully as he sipped it grinning inanely at him.

………………………….

Morgan stirred and moaned and put a hand to the back of his head.

…………………………

Aaron sat on the corner of the bed amidst the carnage and stared at the picture. It was a message but was it a request or a warning?

………………………….

* * *


	23. Chapter 23 The Three

The Three

_Call it a clan, call it a network, call it a tribe, call it a family. Whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one: - Jane Howard_

Disclaimer: Criminal Minds is not mine.

* * *

Morgan pulled him self up against the car and wondered what had happened. The last thing he could remember was stepping out of the elevator. He looked over to the doors which were now shut and at the red flashing light telling him that they had been locked. This was good. It was what he had asked so this was good. At least Flanders couldn't get to him. He felt the back of his head. There was a lump and a cut, but nothing which was going to stop him. He looked down at this wallet. Picking it up he saw the money and card gone. A mugging a simple damned mugging. His phone was broken but his car keys still in his pocket.

"Damn them." He muttered and looked around for security cameras. This he would deal with later. Now he had to check up on Aaron and phone the bank about his card.

Derek unlocked the car, he was feeling woozy. Maybe a slight concussion? He looked up into the mirror and saw the bruises coming up on his face. Not important right now, he needed to get to Aaron. As Derek left the car parking area and tore down the street towards Aaron, Floyd was standing above Reid forcing his head under the water of the ice cold bath he had just thrown him into and Aaron was driving slowly back towards Reid's apartment with the photograph of the three of them on the car seat next to him.

…………………….

Spencer had no idea what he had done this time.

They had walked to the bedroom and holding each other close and twisting fingers through each other's hair. Reid put his tumbler on the side.

Floyd saw it. The drink he had so carefully prepared for this man and he wasn't going to drink it. Was he aware of how much trouble he had to go through to get the raw ingredients for that concoction? Probably not. Maybe he needed to be shown what happened to little freaks who didn't appreciate how much time and effort went into drugging him to a state of unconsciousness. He pulled back away from Reid.

"Babe." An almost smile. "I think we need to take a long soak in the tub together. I have to get some of this stuff out of my hair. Want to wash it for me?"

Spencer smiled. "You run the tub, I'll get the towels." He loved bathing with Floyd. Not a very regular event and usually only when he really needed to. Like now. It wasn't ever just to please him.

He pulled the green towels out of the drawer and tucked his hair behind his ears. Spencer could hear the water running into tub. With a happy grin on his battered face he walked his bruised torn body into the bathroom.

Floyd was still in his jeans, but his boots had been kicked off. He was standing looking at the bathroom mirror. "Take the sarong off." A cold voice. One that made Spencer's stomach clench. What now?

"What d did I d do?" Backing away and dropping the towels. As Floyd walked towards him he turned to run, but the hand was in his hair and another around his wrist.

"Turn around!" Shouting. Spencer could feel the saliva from the angry shouting spraying onto his back. He tried to pull his arm out of vice like grip it was in only to find the hand was transferred to the back of his neck. The other hand followed - pulling him back into the bathroom. Spencer wanted to shout out but there was no one to help him – even if he had been able to scream it would be ignored. He felt his feet leaving the floor as Floyd spun him around his head cracked on the corner of the bathroom wall as he felt the flying sensation when Floyd threw him face down into the bath.

The water started to turn red as the gash on the side of his head bled out into the bathwater and he felt Floyd climbing into the bath behind him. Standing one foot tight between his legs, the other on the back of his head pressing down hard and stopping him from bringing his head out of the water.

There was no point in struggling. He had learned this a long time ago. A lesson well taught. Keep still – don't struggle and he will let you go.

Maybe.

Hopefully.

Eventually.

………………………….

Floyd looked down at what he was doing. He removed his foot from Reid's head and watched for movement.

Quickly he stood out of the tub and looked again.

He knew he was playing.

Maybe.

Hopefully.

He reached in and grabbed Spencer by an arm pulling him partly out of the water. His wet hair stuck to his face.

"Stop it Spence." He pulled him out and dropped him on the floor. As he rolled him over onto his side the coughing and spluttering started. Floyd raised an eyebrow and walked out of the bathroom just as the intercom buzzed from down the elevator. Someone wanted to come up. A quick glance back at Reid and he was walking dripping water over to the intercom.

"Yes?"

"_Can I come up? We need to talk."_

"Aaron." A smirk "Yes. I will send it down for you." He pressed the unlock button and sent the elevator down for Hotch.

……………………………..

Aaron pulled the door open and stood looking again at the home the two men shared. Floyd was standing looking out of the window. There was no immediate sign of Reid.

"Come in. Can't offer you a coffee. I have gin." He pointed to a bottle on the side. Aaron just stood staring at Floyd. His hands hanging by his side, dark jeans, loose fitting white shirt with a heavy waistcoat over the top. He turned and looked at Hotch.

Aaron could see tired bloodshot eyes.

"I don't want your gin Floyd. I want to know what his means." Holding up the picture. "And why you destroyed my things."

Floyd looked over at the bathroom door and saw Reid standing dripping in his sarong, fresh blood dripping down the side of his face blood mixing with the bathwater and running down his chest and across his shoulder.

Hotch was looking at the vision in the door way as Floyd took the picture from his hand. "I replaced them." He ran a finger over the picture. "With this."

Floyd took the picture and sat on the couch. Reid picked up a towel, removed the sarong and then wrapped the towel around his waist. Flanders looked from Reid and over the Aaron who was looking at Spencer.

"See what I have to put up with. How is a man meant to stay sane when he is flaunting his body in that manner? It is decidedly whorish. What do you think?"

Hotch blinked not quite able to get what he had just seen out of his mind. "Uh hu. The picture? Explain it to me. It could have a few meanings."

Flanders looked back down at the picture and sighed. "A family photo to replace those I destroyed."

Reid walked over to the couch and sat next to Floyd folding his legs up under him. Floyd put an arm around him and pulled him close "Feeling better now babes?" Reid breathed in Floyd's special smell and his head span with some strange excitement as rested his head on Floyd's shoulder.

Aaron took some slow steps towards them. "I am not your family."

Floyd looked down at Spencer and gently stroked his hair ignoring Aaron. "I will get you an new coffee machine tomorrow." A small nod.

Aaron was at the couch now reaching down for the photo. "I said I am not your family." Breathing in Floyd's heavy scent. Aaron sat down and felt Floyd's arm wrap around his shoulders.

"I am not your family." Almost a whisper.

"Sure – if you say so."

………………………….

* * *

_What greater thing is there for human souls than to feel that they are joined for life - to be with each other in silent unspeakable memories: - George Eliot_

**End????

* * *

**


	24. Chapter 24 Working it Out

Working it Out

_O, popular applause! what heart of man is proof against thy sweet, seducing charms:- W__illiam Cowper_

Disclaimer: Criminal Minds is not mine.

* * *

Reid sat in the waiting room. Thankfully the bruising on his face was all but gone now. The darkness around his eyes was still very much there though and made him look tired and sickly. He seemed to be losing weight again and his mind felt clouded and often confused. It was no surprise when Strauss had told him that his position in the BAU had been terminated. Permanently. He still hadn't gone back to collect the few things he still had there. Morgan had packed his things into a box and Aaron was going to bring them around for him, but he needed to feel confidant enough to do at least that him self, but for now here was here. Job interview. He didn't want to, but Floyd insisted. He had the bruises up his spine to prove it but yes he needed to get a job. Floyd made his dolls and sold them to various specialist places for vast amounts of money. Reid needed to contribute to household income too.

Well this wasn't the actual interview as such. It was a call back. They wanted to talk to him again. He sat and looked down at his hands, his hair falling down around his face in a protective curtain against the world. Against everything and everyone.

"Dr Reid. Can you come this way please?" a woman in flat black shoes led him to the door behind which he had his interview the previous day. He wanted to yawn – nerves – he wanted to smoke – he wanted a drink. All of these things building up now. A deep desire to escape.

He walked in and sat on the chair in front of the desk and looked down at his hands. Today he had his glasses on. Floyd said he looked more the part.

"Dr Reid. There thank you for coming back. There were a few more questions we would like to ask you."

A quick glance up. Surely he had answered everything last time.

"Would you be willing to take a drugs test?"

Reid stood. He could feel he was shaking so quickly put his hands in his pocket. "No I wouldn't. Why would you ask?"

"It's just that….."

Reid cut him off. "I am thin and look ill? That makes me someone dependent on illegal substances?"

"Dr Reid, I never said that." The head curator was now standing up too.

"You implied it. You want to test me for what? Heroin? Cocaine? Which one do you put me down for?" He wanted to pull his hands from his pocket and cross his arms tightly around himself. He wanted to be sick. He wanted to run away but where would that get him.

"We will get in touch with you Dr Reid. Thank you for dropping by."

He left in a rush from the room and made his way quickly out of the large museum. He hadn't wanted to work there anyway and he still had the other places he had been. He was waiting for a call from them.

Once out of the building he felt calmer. Drugs test? How dare they assume! It wasn't his fault he looked like this. It was just the way he looked. He found where he had parked his car and drove home wondering how he was going to break it to Floyd that he had walked out and lost the chance of a job. Once he had parked up he walked over to the elevator and called it. He took it to the laundry room floor and got out. Not in the mood to face Floyd right now. He walked over to the bean bag and slumped down. He pulled his messenger bag over to him and pulled off his jacket. Too hot down here for all the layers. He rolled up his off white shirt sleeves but left his grey sweater vest on. Today he was in tan cords. He lay his jacket on the floor next to him and opened up his bag. He slipped in his hand and pulled out the pot of pills. Floyd hated him taking these, but Floyd didn't have to know did he?

Three or four? He couldn't decide on the depth of despair he was feeling right now. Aaron was meant to be coming over later so he needed to be with it for then, but right now? Well right now he was realising that he would never get back the excitement he had experienced from working with the BAU. He had been there for so long – all his working life – how can working in a museum compare? Ever.

Four it was then. Well his back was in agony. But that had been his fault. Maybe not getting the job was his fault too. Getting kicked from the BAU had been. He was a failure.

He was just scrunching down on his little bit of heaven when the door swung open and some guys from the other end of the apartment walked in.

Spencer tried to stand up. He wanted to get away. He needed to get back to the elevator, but already the pills had taken away the use of his legs and as he heard the sniggering of the guys walking towards him all went black and he fell back again his struggle stripped from him by the drugs.

He could hear right in the back of his mind behind the fog and beyond the confusion words being shouted and then he felt them dragging him by his feet and pulling him off the bean bag. He felt pain in his ribs as he made involuntary 'umph' sounds as the air was kicked from his lungs. He felt his head being kicked and more pain in his back. Spencer wanted to defend himself. He wanted to call for Floyd, but all he could do was lay there and take the beating. Such was life. It seemed to Reid it was all he was made for. Blessed darkness finally came and Spencer stopped hurting. For a while.

…………………….

When he woke up Floyd was with him sitting on the edge of the bed. Reid could smell blood and opened a swollen eye and looked over at Floyd. He wanted to say something, but Flanders put a finger to his lip.

"It's OK hun. Don't talk – just sleep. It's all sorted." He ran gentle fingers through Reid's hair then leaned over and kissed him on the nose. "Now go back to sleep. You need to rest. I will call Aaron and see if he can come over early."

A small painful nod and he was drifting off again.

……………………

Aaron stood in the elevator and held the handle ready to open. Floyd had called almost hysterically enraged demanding Hotch came over as soon as possible. Someone had beaten Reid. _'No it wasn't me!' _Floyd had insisted. He wasn't sure what to expect. This was a very unpredictable situation. He pulled open the door and stepped out straight into Floyd who was standing waiting for him.

"Where's Reid?" Hotch tried to push by Floyd.

"He's out of it. It's just us."

"You said he has been attacked. I want to see if he is alright."

"He is sleeping. He will be for a long time."

"But…." And now a finger on Aaron's lips.

"Shush."

Aaron stood and breathed in the heavy scent of this strange man who always seemed to get exactly what he wanted. He allowed him to remove his jacket and tie and put it over the back of a chair. He let Floyd undo his buttons and slide his hands over his chest.

Floyd however was multilayered again in a heavy waistcoat and dark jeans and a baggy white shirt. Aaron's hands worked on Floyd's waistcoat buttons with shaking fingers and Flanders ran his fingers slowly over Aaron's chest. Hotch pulled the garment down over Floyd's arms and let it drop to the floor and let out a small gasp. The white shirt was blood splattered. Arterial spray by the look of it, but that was nothing compared to the braces running from the top of his jeans and over his shoulders.

Flanders smiled and slowly pulled Aaron's shirt down over his arms and with a jerk the cuffs popped off his wrists.

"Are you – are you – sure Spencer is s s sleeping?"

Now hands unbuttoning his trousers and loosening his belt. They slip down over Aaron's hips and dropped to the floor. Immediately Floyd was on his knees running his fast fingers down Hotch's legs and guiding his feet out of the trouser legs. Shoes and socks were removed at the same time.

Flanders stood again and smiled. "I have a gift for you." He walked away and picked something up then returned. Hotch was looking again at the blood and a small warning bell began to ring only to be silenced by a quick kiss on the lips. "Let me put it on for you." Aaron ran his fingers across the braces Floyd was wearing and felt the hands tying something around his waist. "Are you alright there Aaron?"

"Yu hu. Fine fine."

"You want to check out Spence?"

"Um yes."

Floyd walked slowly to the bedroom holding Aaron by the hand. Hotch glanced down at the pale green and turquoise sarong Floyd had given him – small beads hanging off the hem and he grinned.

………………….

* * *

**A/N Dedicated my sis who is Aggy and who is a life saver. :c)

* * *

**


	25. Chapter 25 Arrest

Arrest

_It's bad idea to hunt on your own doorstep: - Unknown_

Disclaimer: Criminal Minds is not mine.

* * *

Marty worked the night shift. That was not a problem. He was used to it now. The guys he shared with were cool with it too. They worked all day while he slept. It didn't happen often that he would get annoyed with them. They were great mates. They had fun together – in a very manly non sexual way you must understand. Not the huggy touchy feely types at all. None of them. Which is why they were all so repulsed by the freak they kept finding on the bean bag. He lived with the guy who had the funny smell and the odd way of dressing. The two of them – freaks.

The apartment Marty shared with his friends was on the ground floor. He didn't have to take an elevator to his door.

He stood and frowned. All the lights were out. Surely they hadn't all gone out. Marty McColl put the key in the door and was surprised to find the door off the latch. He pushed it open slowly and reached around the corner for the light switch

Marty opened his mouth to scream but no sound came out. He had never seen so much blood. It was dripping off the ceiling and there was bits stuck to the walls. He took a step back away from the door and with trembling hands made a 911 call.

…………………….

The Crime Scene Unit arrived and did what they could. They found bloodied fingerprint swirls on the walls. On the floor. On the ceiling. They found foot prints. Barefoot, trainers, booted. They found smashed bone and they found bit of human tissue but they couldn't find anything which looked like it might have once been a human. The most worrying thing they found was the teeth marks evident on some of the bits they found. The place was taped off with yellow Crime Scene tape and a small tent thing erected over the doorway so that they could get the bits out in buckets without having to worry about Mrs Jones dog Fiddler running in to grab an early lunch.

…………………..

Aaron left early. He had to go home before he could go to work and get some clean things on. He had thought briefly – but only briefly – if he should leave some stuff at Spencer's place. That would feel wrong though. He had his own home and it wasn't the thing to do go pushing yourself into the fold like that. Or was it more a matter of not permitting himself to be pulled right in yet.

He saw flashing police lights down the street in the direction he needed to go but the last thing he wanted to do now was be seen here in the early hours so he turned the car in the other direction and did a slightly longer route home.

………………….

Floyd had enjoyed his night. He had kept Spencer doped up for most of it. For one thing the lad was in dreadful pain from the beating and he also liked him compliant like this. Hotch was different, with him he was still testing the waters to see how far he could go. Yes it had been a satisfying evening. He sat on the edge of the bed and looked at the sleeping Spence laying on his side with his back to him. He ran a finger down his bruised spine and grinned. He then got up and went to the kitchen to them both a hot chocolate and to get stuff out of the fridge to cook up for dinner later.

Once the drinks were made he took them back to the bedroom and sat them down on the night stand. "Hey Spence, wakey wakey, I got you a nice warm drink." Reid muttered something and sighed. He knew he had to pull himself out of this hazy place and respond but his head was swimming and pounding and Floyd's smell today was strange.

He rolled over and pushed himself up on one elbow. "What's going on?" He reached out and picked up a mug. His eyes followed Floyd from his head down wards. He had a lot of blood on him. The front of his shirt was encrusted and Reid could see where in places his hair was stiff and crusty. A frown and he put the mug down. "Was Aaron here?"

Floyd nodded. "He left early again to get ready for work. I was going to suggest he leaves some things but wanted to see how you felt about it first."

Looking from the mug to Floyd then wrapping his arms tightly around himself. "Where did all that blood come from? And since when did my opinion on anything matter?"

"Well the blood you don't need to worry about, it's not Aarons. As for your opinions babe, they always matter, I just ignore them usually."

"I do need to worry about the blood. It came from somewhere. Your shirt – take it off and throw it away. It smells funny."

"It's a smell of freedom babe. It means they can't hurt you anymore. Now drink up and stop worrying about me. I can look after myself."

………………………

As Aaron was making his way to the office, the test results were making their way from the crime lab. They had matched the teeth marks and fingerprints. Finger prints belonged to various victims. Teeth marks had been recorded before and belonged to Floyd Flanders Franks. As the results winged their way to the correct department SWAT was alerted.

…………………….

Spencer and Floyd stood at the big window over looking the city. It was going to be a glorious morning. The sun was rising above the tops of the buildings in a beautiful orange glow. Reid was happy. Yes bruised and worried about why Floyd had arterial spray on his shirt, but something was stopping him from reacting the way he should. Right now he didn't care. He was with Floyd and his hands were rested on his back and he was holding him gently and with that thing Reid would call love and Floyd would call 'confusing sensations.'

The first they realised something was wrong was when the window they were looking out of smashed. Reid let out a yelp of shock and jumped back. Floyd turned slowly and looked at Reid. There was a small trickle of blood running down between his eyes. He went down to his knees then slumped sideways as something else hit his head.

Reid started to scream. He threw him self at Floyd and shielded him from further damage but he could feel that Floyd had stopped moving.

SWAT burst through the fire doors and through the elevator door. Spencer lashed out at them as they ran forwards pointing guns at him. Pressing a hand gun to the back of his head.

"What happened?" A small choking voice.

"He ate your neighbours. Now get up out of the way or you will join him."

Reid held on tightly to Floyd and when he started again to lash out at them they cracked him around the face with a rifle butt and sent him flying backwards to lay in the shattered glass on Floyd's lovely clean floor.

He watched from clouded eyes as they pulled Flanders hands behind his back and used flexi cuffs on him. They cuffed his feet together and then dragged him from the room by his feet to a van waiting outside. They had been warned to keep him guarded at all times, to only use flexi cuffs on him and to keep replacing them, and they had been warned that a bullet to his brain would probably not kill him. Yet.

Now they came to Reid. Again a gun pointed at his head and he was rolled over onto his back. His chest, hands, arms, face and some of this lower body was smeared in the blood transferred from Floyd's clothing. He knew. He must have know. Reid had normal cuffs slapped across his wrists and was pulled to his feet.

CSU now arrived. They took samples of everything. Including the food Floyd had got out for dinner.

…………………….

Aaron got a phone call.

"At last we have that bastard Flanders." It was from a senior SWAT officer Aaron knew well.

"What do you mean? What happened?"

"Two slugs, one in the forehead, and one behind the ear. His little boyfriend was taken too. Wasn't he once an agent of yours?" And now Hotch could hear the laugher.

……………………..

* * *


	26. Chapter 26 A Matter of Survival

A Matter of Survival.

_It's like; everyday I go on without him I lose a part of myself. I thought I could handle it until one day I looked in the mirror and it wasn't me looking back. I was broken. I'm broken and I don't know how to go on: - Anon_

Disclaimer: Criminal Minds is not mine.

* * *

Flanders was rushed to surgery. How he could get shot like that and still be alive they didn't quite understand, but x-rays showed all three bullets in there. They decided that they couldn't remove them. It would be too dangerous and though it was argued that it would be good for everyone if he died on the table it was not ethical. They needed to get him better enough to be sent to death row, or failing that spend his life in solitary. These were the options. Nothing else was going to be even considered.

Aaron tried to visit, to find out what was going on but they would tell him nothing. Too close to the case. Sorry.

He visited Reid who had been released with out charge after the drug test results came back and they realised that there was no way this man could have been awake that night. They were shocked at the levels of substances in his blood and advised he went and got advise on how to get clean.

"I don't have a drugs problem."

Was his answer.

Reid was back in the apartment, spending his days pacing the big main room or standing staring out of the window. He needed to do something. He wanted to help Floyd but he couldn't get close. They wouldn't let him visit. They would give him no information.

The bruises faded as did the memories of the pain.

Aaron's visits were something he looked forward to. They would just sit on the couch and hold each other and be happy they could just relax and try to recover, though Reid's recovery was going to take a long time and Aaron though he wished it dearly couldn't see Spencer ever being emotionally stable enough to cope with working within the FBI. This obviously is not taking into account that he had a small problem with painkiller dependency and the not very palatable problem concerning his consumption of human flesh.

They ate pizza which they got delivered and they watched cartoons and ate Ben and Jerry's in all the different flavours they could find and slowly Aaron was moving a few things into the apartment. His toothbrush appeared, and a suit was hung in the wardrobe. Spare shirts folded and placed in a drawer.

Reid spent a weekend alone and spent the time removing Floyd from his life. He took his clothes and placed them in a box. Every intention to take them to the some homeless shelter. He sat on the bed and looked at the pile of beautiful clothes in the box. Shirts and jeans and waistcoats and heavy winter coats. He pulled out a shirt and held it to his face. The smell sent his head spinning and brought tears to his eyes. He removed the checked short sleeved shirt he was wearing and slipped on Floyds. It was too big really but if he put on a waistcoat too? He slid his arms into the dark blue waistcoat and buttoned up the small golden buttons.

Standing looking in the mirror with his head spinning and his mind slowly clouding he turned on the hot tap in the bathroom basin and watched the mirror steam up. He really thought he was recovering from Floyd. He really did think that after all this time – all these months that he had been able to haul his arse into gear and realise that he had just been a punch bag, but now standing here watching his face slowly fade in the mirror he knew there was never going to be an escape.

He lifted a finger and wrote in the steamy glass. _'Where are you?' _Then he walked back to the lounge and stood in the last place he stood with Floyd and looked out of the window.

Aaron arrived two days later and saw Spencer kneeling on the floor, curled up tightly and rocking back and forth. He stood and looked and listened for a while. Then walked slowly over to Reid and crouched down next to him placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Spencer, has something happened?" Reid's head came up and his red eyes locked with Aaron's.

"Everything and nothing. I don't know what to do. I need him."

Hotch wrapped his arms tightly around Spencer. He knew this sort of thing might happen. It was something he was prepared for yet it was still hurting. As he pulled Reid close he also got the strong smell of Flanders. He buried his face into Reid's neck breathing in the young mans soft scent and the heavier stronger smell of Floyd. His head span and his thought processes slowed as the two men knelt on the wooden floor and hugged and cried.

…………………….

He did a lot of swearing and cursing. Locked in solitary with armed guards outside his door. They had left the bullets lodged in his head as it didn't seem to be doing any harm. It would be interesting to see how it effected him. He had tremendous nosebleeds. He could spray his cell with blood. He screamed and smashed him self against the walls even knocking him self out on occasions but still they wouldn't give in to his demands of needing to see Spencer. He needed to get out of here. It would be a simple job to get the door open. That wasn't a problem. The armed guards outside might pose a small hitch in his plan. They would open fire on him if he just walked out of the door and they had orders not to talk to him so he had to think of another way to get out and he could think of only one. This plan would have to rely on Spencer or Aaron doing that which he would hope. He had just that day slipped open his mind just enough to see what Reid was feeling. Grief. He was grieving. He felt bereft. This was good. This would serve his purpose well as long as he could carry out his bit of the plan.

It took a while of planning. Not something you would do lightly but not something they were looking out for. Floyd had never – apart from the tantrums shown any desire to self harm. He decided on his plan. It would depend of self control. He needed to stay calm and he needed to keep spiking and topping up Spencer and Aaron.

…………………….

They held each other through the night. Spencer on his side with Aaron laying behind him holding him tightly. The comfort Spencer needed to survive. To help him feel whole. He pressed back on to Hotch so he could feel no space between the two bodies and fell into a deep sleep.

Both men had the same dream. They dreamed of a funeral. Of a burial – just the two of them standing at the grave side looking down a long way into the pit the casket had been placed. It was such a long way down they could hardly see it. They stood and watched as bricks and cement was poured over the top and then the earth was replaced. In the dream Reid dropped a single red rose and Aaron a daisy. They stood holding hands and watched.

When they awoke and compared dreams Reid insisted it was a message. But what it was and what it meant they had no idea but they felt a renewed loss in their hearts. As they showered they each wished someone else was with them too and Reid missed the feeling of pain as the soap was rubbed over his back. Aaron didn't miss the bruises which used to cover Spencer, but he did miss the flinching was his hands moved down to hold Reid's hips and pull him back close.

…………………..

Once a day Floyd was removed from his cell and wearing double flexicuffs on hand and feet he was taken to a small open space. The was no grass beneath his feet but there was a sky to look at. He would stand still and look up at the sky muttering to himself. They guards had at first tried to work out what he was saying but it was nonsensical so they gave up on that. He stood with his arms slightly out to his sides and his heels together, leaning slightly back just staring up.

"I'll be with you soon." He whispered.

How he got hold of it they will never know. But get hold of it he did. They assumed he lifted it from a guards pocket at some point, though which guard would have been foolish enough to carry a small blade on him?

He walked back into his cell to see his food waiting for him. He pushed the uneaten dinner to the side of the room and knelt on the floor. He heard the doors lock and concentrating for a while he could sense they had moved off. Floyd pulled the small blade out from the back of his waistband. _'Claim me Spencer. Bring me home.' _He looked down at the knife.

The small knife dug deeply into Floyd's neck. The blood sprayed up the wall and the door. A quick swift fatal slice to his neck.

* * *

_Where you used to be, there is a hole in the world, which I find myself constantly walking around in the daytime, and falling in at night. I miss you like hell: -Edna St. Vincent Millay_

* * *


	27. Chapter 27 The Call

The Call

_Anais Nin: -People living deeply have no fear of death._

Disclaimer: Criminal Minds is not mine.

* * *

The phone started ringing at eight thirty in the morning. Reid leaned over Hotch and picked up the receiver from the night stand phone.

"Reid." A pause. Climbing over Aaron. "When?" Alarmed look on his face. "How?!" pulling clothes up off the floor. "Yes, yes, I will be there as soon as I can." Listening. "Oh. Yes there is someone." Looking at Aaron. "How bad?" Pulling on trousers. "I see, yes I will be there. Thank you." Drops the phone on the floor and stands looking at Aaron.

"Spencer? What's happened? Is it your mother?" Getting out of bed and picking up sweat pants and a t shirt off the chair.

"No." Shaking his head. "Something has happened to Floyd." Looking down at the box of Floyd's belongings. "Aaron – I was going to throw all his things away." Hotch put a hand on Reid's shoulder.

"Spencer what has happened?"

"I don't know. They said there has been a serious incident and I was to come as soon as I could. To bring a friend. I am his next of kin."

Hotch quickly removed the clothes he had on and put on a suit.

"I will go alone. You stay here." Reid was wearing dark jeans and a white short sleeved shirt and was now pulling on a pair of dark boots. He walked almost at a run to the kitchen with Hotch right behind him. "Where are they?" Opening and drawers and slamming them shut. Finally picking up a handful of smokes and the small silver lighter.

"You can't go alone Spencer. I am coming with you." He watched Spencer light up and take a long draw from Floyd's smoke. "And why are you doing that? And remember that he can take bullets to the head and not get seriously damaged. So relax ok?"

Reid nodded chucked the smoke in the sink. "You're right, but I was going to get rid of his things Hotch. What the hell was I thinking?"

"You were going through the grieving process. It's normal." Standing in front of Spencer with his hands on Reid's shoulders.

Reid looked up into his eyes. "Yes it is normal, but Floyd isn't dead." A pause. "I hope." Then he pulled away from Hotch and ran to the bathroom. Aaron stood in the kitchen and listened to Reid bringing up the cups of coffee he had drunk and he sighed. All the deprogramming they had done and now in one fell swoop it was back to where it was.

………………………….

They were met in reception and asked to show ID. A guy in a suit came out to meet them and with a frown led them into his office. The three of them sat. Aaron made sure he was within touching distance of Spencer. Spencer made sure the door wasn't directly behind him.

"Dr Reid. I am sorry to have to call you down here, but as I said on the telephone there has been a serious incident involving Mr Franks."

Reid nodded. Aaron wanted to reach over and hold his hand. He looked at the pale face and the way he swallowed and the twisting of his hands.

"Last night at some point it seems Mr Franks got hold of a knife."

"Oh." Reid thought he was going to be sick again. The images of what Floyd could do if he got hold of a knife swam through his head. Had he skinned someone? Sliced the guards? Spencer could feel his stomach twisting in panic.

"As you may or may not know Mr Franks was not on suicide watch as there had been no previous attempts to take his own life."

A nod from Reid and suddenly the imagery changed and out of the corner of his eye he saw Aaron move his chair closer and felt a hand on his and felt those soft caring hands holding on tightly.

"During early evening Mr Franks took his own life."

Hotch's stomach now did the churning twist. Reid stared back unblinking at the man. "T took his own l l life?"

"Dr Reid we need you to identify his body for legal purposes before we can release the body for burial."

Reid was shaking his head. "He can't be dead. That just isn't possible. He can't die. I need him. How? What did he do?"

"I am very sorry Dr Reid." He was looking at Aaron now. "He cut his own throat. I am very sorry."

Aaron was squeezing Spencer's hand hard. He could feel a small prickling behind his eyes. He had no idea how Reid must be feeling.

Reid just said. "He can't be dead." In a voice so quiet you could barely hear him.

The man in the suit stood. "If you would like to follow me I will take you to him. Then you can either sign the papers and let us deal with everything or you may arrange collection."

"I see. Arrange collection." Spencer pulled his hand out of Aaron's grip and stood. "Thank you. I would like to see him now."

They were led down a corridor to a room at the end with double doors and frosted glass. "I can take you in here, or you can watch from the viewing room." They were told. Reid just nodded in the direction of the door and the three of them entered. Spencer had been in enough rooms like this for it not to phase them, but somehow this felt different. They followed the man to a cold drawer in the wall. He checked the name on the front and pulled it open. "I will leave you two for a few minutes." The suit walked away.

Floyd's face was almost pure white. Spencer reached down and ran his fingers over the cold skin. "I don't believe this. This is some kind of twisted nightmare. Wake up hun." Fingers running through Floyd's hair.

Aaron couldn't take his eyes off the mark on Floyd's neck. "What was he thinking of? Why?" And now Aaron was running fingers over the cold hard body. Down his arm to the hand. Hotch's other arm he wrapped tightly around Reid. He could feel his body shaking under his grip. Floyd's special smell had been washed away. He smelt of disinfectant and prison.

…………………………

Arrangements were made.

Aaron filled in the forms and got Spencer to sign the right bits.

…………………………

They didn't invite anyone to the funeral they had arranged. They wanted this strictly private. Who else would have come? Morgan? HUH! I expect he was dancing a merry jig.

The casket was delivered to the apartment for the last evening they would spend the three of them. They had handed over some of Floyd's clothes. At least he would look right and it would cover up the smell somewhat. He was in a high necked white shirt with braces and his heavy waistcoat with dark jeans. They made sure he had his boots on and had recovered his ring which they put back onto his finger. They slipped some of his special drugs into his pocket put a cheroot and a silver lighter in the other. Reid found his hat and put his glasses in his breast pocket.

Reid stood and looked down at Floyd. He smoked a cheroot in his memory blowing the smoke in his face to get that special smell back to the cold form in the wooden box. Aaron and Reid had a drink of whisky and stood holding hands.

Aaron leaned over the body and touched his fingers to those lips. "Night friend." Was all he managed to say he could feel his voice breaking. This man he had hated for so long he now wanted back.

He stood back to let Reid say his goodbyes.

Spencer leaned forwards and gently kissed Floyd on his cold lips. "Goodnight hun."

"Goodnight Babes." A grin.

* * *

_Somerset Maugham: - Dying is a very dull, dreary affair. And my advice to you is to have nothing whatever to do with it.

* * *

_

**A/N: This IS now the ****end****. Really it is…More to follow in new fic….but this done. Thank you all for reading and reviewing!!!**

HotH


	28. Chapter 28 The Epilogue

The Epilogue

_Aggy once said: - Sarongs bare chests and slash please._

_Lestat: - And the more you tried, the more I wanted you._

Disclaimer: Criminal Minds is not mine.

* * *

Reid's lips hovered over Floyd's for the tiniest of moments. No surprise registered on his face. No panic or shock. He leant in deeper to the casket and placed his hands one each side of Floyd's head and kissed with a deep passion. Running his tongue over Floyd's beautiful white sharp teeth, sucking on his lip, grinding lips against lips until he thought he was going to explode.

Aaron watched Reid with growing alarm. The alarm rose somewhat as he watched Reid climb into the casket with the corpse.

"Reid stop!" He moved forwards to try to drag him out again. Tears now running freely down Aaron's face. Tears for Floyd and tears for the agony Reid must be in. It wasn't until he concentrated and wiped the wetness out of his eyes that he saw what was happening. He took a step back and wondered what had been in that smoke to cause such an hallucination. "Reid." He said softer this time. "Reid love you need to stop." Rubbing at his eyes he stepped forwards again. All he could hear was moans and whimperings but the vision had become more macabre. He was sure he could see legs wrapped around Reid's and hands running over his back.

Aaron jumped back again. "Oh." Were his words, but his thoughts were suddenly of the box of Floyd's things sitting in the corner of the bedroom and of this things taken their place. "Oh." He repeated and ran to the bedroom. Aaron moved at lightening speed putting Floyd's things back where they had been and quickly moving his own to the back of the chair. He had just finished when he heard an almighty crash from the lounge.

Hotch ran back again and saw the casket on its side and Reid and Floyd laying hugging. They looked over at Hotch and Floyd put out a hand to him. In a slightly croaky voice. "Join us Aaron." Aaron walked over slowly and knelt on the floor.

"I have a better idea. If you are feeling up to it. Can you stand?"

Floyd grinned. He showed his teeth. He didn't often smile like this. This was a genuine smile.

Spencer moved away and stood up putting a hand down so Floyd could stand. Flanders pulled himself up and stood between his two men. Hotch moved to stand in front of him and started to unbutton Floyd's waist coat. "You need a shower to get rid of that smell they gave you."

Reid stood behind Aaron and pulled Hotch's jacket off. He then moved his hands around in front of Aaron so as Hotch undressed Floyd, Spencer was undressing Hotch.

Once done they both turned to Reid who was still standing fully dressed and wide eyed. This time Floyd stood in front of Reid and Hotch behind as they slowly stripped Spencer.

Then the trio walked to the bathroom. The big shower was turned on and they stood together. Floyd in the middle as they slowly soaped him down. Aaron took the back and Reid the front.

Floyd felt tired but actually maybe this was one of those rare occasions he felt happy. He had no plans – he had no ulterior motive – he was just experiencing pure unadulterated pleasure in the hands of the two men he had pulled in and now could never let go. Not even death would keep them apart now.

He tipped his head back as Aaron washed his hair and Spencer kissed the scar on his neck.

They dried each other in turn and wrapped the obligatory sarongs around hips and then went and sat on the couch. Spencer though went to the kitchen and brought back three tubs of Butter Pecan Ben and Jerry's. Aaron leaned against Floyd and Spencer lay down with his head on Floyd's lap and they watched cartoons until the sun came up.

* * *

_Lestat: - One happy family.

* * *

_

**NO MORE! no more no more no more no no no no no……This is completely IT….finished. If there are ends that need tying…tough. **

**Thank you all you lovely readers and reviewers !!!

* * *

**


End file.
